The Harwellian

Harwell Village Sports and Social Club

The Harwellian reordering and refurbishment project

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The aim of the reordering and refurbishment project is to create a welcoming, multi-functional community space that will be more financially stable as a sports and social club as well as being used by more families and others. This post contains information about the aims and phases of the project.

The Harwellian Club’s building was largely self-built by members in the 1980s and has not been modernised since. The project is to reorder and refurbish the building, and the outside areas, to make it more attractive and usable as a community facility. It is currently a dark and unwelcoming building, with few windows and limited outside areas.

Harwell Parish Council have recently agreed to adjust the plan of our leased external land to support the creation of a Club garden which will greatly increase the attractiveness and usability of the Club.

The plan is to:

  1. rearrange and refurbish the inside space, including:
    • a new commercial kitchen
    • the addition of new partition walls
    • new flooring
    • a raised seating area which can be used as a stage
  2. add new large windows overlooking the recreation grounds and tennis courts
  3. replace some external doors
  4. create a new club garden

The project will be undertaken in phases each of which can be completed independently of the others as funding becomes available.

Phase 0: underway

This has achieved some basic reordering of the internal space. One snooker table has been sold and the other moved to the opposite end of the building which has been decorated. Together with the pool table and darts boards, this has created a designated sports bar area. The former main bar is now a flexible lounge/function/café space, which enabled a Covid-19 compliant café to be opened during December. The kitchen has been stripped out and prepared for new equipment.

Phase 1: this phase will start as soon as S106 money is approved

  • New commercial kitchen
  • New partition walls
  • Raised seating area
  • New flooring
  • New fixed seating
  • Improvements to the smoking shelter

Phase 2: A planning application has been submitted for this phase

  • Some new windows and doors
  • Hard landscaping and fencing to create club garden
  • Move of the Aunt Sally pitch

Phase 3: this phase will be undertaken if further funding is obtained

  • Further new/enlarged windows
  • Further door replacements
  • New heating system
  • Solar panels