{"id":2403,"date":"2016-04-26T09:09:09","date_gmt":"2016-04-26T09:09:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.powertochange.org.uk\/?post_type=blog_post&p=2403"},"modified":"2021-08-02T13:41:56","modified_gmt":"2021-08-02T12:41:56","slug":"sports-former-mining-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.powertochange.org.uk\/news\/sports-former-mining-community\/","title":{"rendered":"Sports for all in a former mining community"},"content":{"rendered":"
As we celebrate the success of community businesses this week and mark the opening of our new \u00a310 million fund to support them, we are sharing blogs from some of our grantees.\u00a0Steph Hryschko, Chair of Kiveton Park and Wales Community Develop Trust, tells us how a mining community came together to create a sports facility to improve the health and wellbeing of local people.<\/p>\n
Kiveton Park and Wales Community Development Trust established in 1997 following the closure of Kiveton Colliery. The mission was to \u201cbreathe new life\u201d into a devastated community.\u00a0Back then we couldn\u2019t imagine what the future would look like.\u00a0Mining communities are renowned for community spirit and pulling together. Now almost 20 years on there is still a resilience and determination to stand up for better standards, be it in housing, health, environment or education and job opportunities.<\/p>\n
As volunteers we may not have the best business skills set (and some would say \u201cif they can do it anyone can!!\u201d) but we are all local and no one knows better what the community needs or is more willing to work for it.<\/p>\n
Three years ago we got ownership of the Old Colliery Offices and seven acres of surrounding land.\u00a0The community were quite clear about what they wanted to develop on the land \u2013 a multi-sport facility for all ages and abilities.\u00a0Market research backed up that this would have great business potential and so our journey began.<\/p>\n