ILMINSTER Town Football Club is building firm foundations with the local community for its new clubhouse – thanks to a buy a brick scheme.

Businesses, groups, organisations, families and individuals have been sponsoring bricks which will go on a special wall at the clubhouse once it is built later this year.

Already the scheme has raised a whopping £10,000 for club funds and organisers are delighted with how it has gone.

Sponsorship co-ordinator Paul Webber, of Ilminster Town FC, said: “We would like to thank everyone who has so far sponsored a brick, their support is very much appreciated.

“But there is still time for more people to get involved in the buy a brick scheme.

"The closing date for applications is February 14, easy to remember as it is Valentine’s Day!

“The special wall of sponsored bricks will be in the social area of the clubhouse to remind everyone of the individuals and businesses who have supported the club.”

Personal bricks are available at £25 each including two lines of text or £50 for a brick including four lines of text.

Business bricks range from £150, £250 and £500.

The new clubhouse, which will be called The Gooch Pavilion, is currently being built on Britten’s Field next to the Ilminster Recreation Ground.

The building work should be completed around May in plenty of time for the start of the 2016-17 football season.

But the club is keen to make the £600,000 building more than just about football on a Saturday afternoon, it wants to encourage other groups to use the facilities during the week and for it become a real community facility.

Paul added: “The community has gone right behind us on this project and so we want to make the clubhouse very much a focal point of the community once it is built.”

Anyone wanting further information, please email itfc_brickorders@hotmail.com.

This is a new email address to one previously used by the project team.