A 14-year, £51,000 effort to give Tydd St Mary its own community building has come to a glorious end.
Fundraisers, parish councillors and other guests were invited to the opening of Glebe Community Pavilion, part of the village’s Glebe Memorial Park, last Monday.
The building, which includes changing and walk-in shower rooms, kitchen, toilets and function room, replaces the original building which was destroyed by arsonists in May 2003.
Steve Wright, chairman of Tydd St Mary Playing Field Committee, said: “Before the fire took place, local residents used the old pavilion regularly for youth clubs, birthday parties and as changing rooms for the football club.
“At one point, players were having to take it in turns to change in a shed donated by a retailer where a lady worked whose house backed onto the playing field.
“It took a lot of hard work and lots of meeting to agree things, so it was a poignant moment when we opened the pavilion last Monday.”
The playing field committee itself raised £44,000 over the last seven years, including £3,300 from a Classic Car Rally in May, in what Steve described as the “largest volunteer-led project in South Holland”.
In addition, grants worth £20,000 over the last three years from the Grange Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund helped the project along.
Steve said: “It was nice to have everyone together for the opening, including builder Mark Benton (of Long Sutton) and D.W. Monaghan Electrical Services Ltd (Holbeach) who offered their time either free or at a reduced rate.
“We’re now hoping to see the pavilion used in a similar kind of way to the old one.”