Sports organisations in Witham are being invited to a 'summit meeting' to help boost facilities in the town.

Invitations are being sent out over the next two weeks by town mayor Michael Jones, asking the clubs if they will get together and kick-start a major review of sporting need.

The aim is to identify facilities which can be used by several organisations and then pool resources to bid for funds to build them. The groups can then tap into expertise on making funding bids through Witham and Braintree councils.

'We also want to create a greater awareness across the whole community of what clubs and facilities are already available in the town," said the mayor.

"This particular aspect came out of a question and answer session at the recent Millennium Festival and it is clear that although many clubs have been in operation for a long time, the general public are not aware."

The idea has already won the backing of several sporting organisations in the town.

Tom Whelan, a past president of Witham Rugby Club and now catering manager said: "The project will certainly get our support, it is an excellent idea.

"We have difficulty in recruiting new members, even though we have excellent training coaches and equipment. We would like to spread the work out to youngsters and bring more in.

"Certainly organisations working together should have a greater chance of winning funding on the basis that the more it can be used, the greater its value to everybody."

Brian Rushen, chairman of Witham Hockey Club also backs the scheme.

"We would welcome an invitation and it would be something positive we can work on," he says.

"I think it is a brilliant idea to pool ideas on common needs. We have already tried without success to bid for lottery funding for an all-weather pitch in conjunction with Bramston School.

"If there are other ways we can go forward, very possibly in conjunction with other organisations, we would be very happy to look at how this can be achieved."

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