Combined from Frome Town Community Benefit Society, Frome Town Council, And Frome Town AFC. 

Frome Town Community Benefit Society and Frome Town Council are delighted to confirm that as of August 3rd the Badgers Hill stadium and grounds is now owned by the community following the purchase of the site from Frome Town Holdings Ltd by Frome Town Council.  

When Frome Town Council exercised the option to buy the grounds, they issued a 25-year lease to Frome Town Community Benefit Society (FTCBS). The FTCBS will run and manage the grounds, including issuing a lease to Frome Town AFC to secure Badgers Hill as the continuing home of Frome Town Robins. Whilst seemingly complicated, this means that this fantastic community resource will be retained for the community of Frome.

In further good news for the club, following a successful application by Frome Town Council, Frome Town Community Benefit Society will soon receive a grant funded award of £364,000. This is from the Community Ownership Fund and will support ongoing work at Badgers Hill Football Stadium. Added to the £311,000 already invested by Frome Town Council into the site, this represents a huge boost for both sport in the town and the community of Frome as a whole. 

The site faced imminent closure at the end of last year as the owners were unable to repay loans secured against the site. Frome Town Council paid off the lender to allow time to explore community ownership in exchange for the option to acquire the site for £1. And to "save the important community asset for the sporting, social, cultural, environmental and economic value it brings to the Frome community." 

Following a well-attended public meeting the Frome Town Community Benefit Society was formed to pave the path to community ownership, however during this time site surveys revealed the need for significant urgent repairs. This investment will support that. 

Andrew Carpenter, Chair of the Frome Town Community Benefit Society said: "Understandably we are delighted – but there is much to do. Now our priority must be to secure the safety of the site and plan improvements to the site. But it is not all about football – we need to make sure that this site – one of Frome's largest venues - is open and accessible to the rest of the wider community as part of our commitment to the Community Ownership Fund. We have achieved a lot in a brief period of time, but we will need the help of even more passionate volunteers to help us along the way as members and directors of Frome Town CBS."

This comes as Frome Town Council take the final steps to acquire the freehold of the ground by taking up its option. The funding will then support the CBS to become leaseholders of the site and take on its management. Leader of the Council Lisa Merryweather said: "This is an extremely exciting time for the Badgers Hill site, the tenants and indeed the residents of Frome . Community ownership of the site and grant funding will help ensure that the facility is preserved for the wider community for years to come. It is also an endorsement of the amount of resource and work that has already been put into the project by the newly formed Frome Town Community Benefit Society, Frome Town Council, and our partners at the football club. Well done to all concerned, but this is where challenging work really starts." 

Football Club Chair Derek Graham says: "This is fantastic news – and exciting times ahead. It really helps secure the foundations of the Football Club and the funding, alongside the Frome Town Community Benefit Society, which will really bring a new broom. Our thanks must also go to Frome Town Council staff and councillors, the Football Supporters Association and Andy Walsh for working so tirelessly to support both the CBS and the bid. This will allow the club to focus on what it does best, which is football!"

The bid not only sought funding but set out a business plan and the aspirations of the FTCBS. It is expected that as part of the commitment to the funding further community and sporting partnerships will develop around venue use, there will be a commitment to a community ticket scheme and there will funded activities for disadvantaged groups. So, exciting times ahead. 

If you want to follow the news, get involved or find out about how you can become a member follow the story at www.badgershillnews.org and across FTAFC channels. If you would like to use your skills in communications or fundraising, they have two vacancies on the board of the CBS which may interest you. Get in touch with Andrew carpenter at [email protected].