Rimington Recreation Association was established as a registered charity in August 1980. However its origins go back before that to when the villagers started to fundraise to develop sporting and recreational facilities for Rimington and Middop villagers. That came to fruition in 1977 when the village was able to buy the current field, from local farmer Johnny Carr, with support from the Coulthurst Jubilee charitable fund. Changing facilities were built in the early 1980s.
These old changing rooms had become outdated and in a poor state of repair and a new village pavilion and new changing rooms were planned to provide a central hub to further support the recreational and sporting activities.
The Pavilion at Rimington was built following a huge fundraising effort by the Association. Following generous donations from villagers and grant funding from Defra and the Football Association, building commenced in 2018 and it was completed in March 2019.
The Pavilion includes a bar, social area and new improved changing rooms. It has become a focal point for the village, hosting bar nights, coffee mornings, sports events etc. bringing villagers of all ages together socially to build strong village community links.
The facilities also include tennis courts, a football field and a new children’s playground.
Villagers are rightly proud of this successful venture which has been built and is run solely by volunteers.
For details of events at The Pavilion please see ''The Pavilion at Rimington'' page on Facebook.
Secretary: Rosemary Duckworth 01200 445817
Rimington Football Club
Rimington Football Club has been established since 1971. It runs a team in the First Division and also one in the Reserve Division of the East Lams League. Both teams have met with well deserved success over the years and have won the Craven and District League cup on numerous occasions.
Training takes place at the Recreation Field throughout the football season on Tuesday evenings from 6.30 p.m.
New members are always welcome and should contact:Secretary/Treasurer: Martin Lawson 07759-265959
Tennis
Anyone wishing to play tennis on the all-weather courts should first make a reservation by phoning: Martin Curren: 01200 445195 or 07745 982921
A fee is payable for anyone who is not a member of the ' 100 Club'.
100 club
If you wish to join the 100 Club, and support the facilities, with a chance of winning monthly prizes of £50, £30 and £10 with a £250 prize twice a year the cost is £30 annually.
If you wish to contribute please ring the organiser Richard Sherras: 01200 445429
For details please visit the Rimington Recreation Association Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/rimingtonrecreationassociation/
This poem was written by Christine Thistlethwaite in 1981 to commemorate the building of the first pavilion.
Our Pavilion
We’re feelin’ fair proud in Rimington –
An’ Ah’m thinkin’ as how yer’ll agree
When Ah tell yer what folks in our Village have done
that we’ve got ivvery reight to be!
It all started off about ten years ago
When folks thought as it wor a pity
That we hedn’t a Sports Field in t’ Village – an’ so
They decided ter form a committee!
They started straight in ter get ho’d o’ some brass
They had draws, auction sales, an’ bazaars,
They knew what they wanted – 5 acres o’ grass
A li’le meddow of owd Johnny Carr’s.
Years rolled along an’ t’ bank balance grew
Helped along wi’ a ‘One Hundred Club’
An’ still they med brass ivvery way as they knew
‘til one neet at a meetin’ in t’ Pub
t’ Chairman stood up, all excited an’ pink –
He had some good news, yer could tell!
‘ow everyone clapped when he sed ‘What’s ter think?’
Owd Johnny’s agreed ter sell!!’
From that moment on, it wor ‘All hands on Deck’
wi’ a volunteer force keepin’ busy –
What wi’ diggin’ an’ drainin’ an mowin’ – by heck!
Just t’ seet on ‘em fair med yer dizzy!
More money wor raised an’ contractors came
To add summat else for we’re Sports –
‘An All Weather Playdeck’s’ its Sunday name
But in ‘Lanky’ that means ‘tennis courts!’
What wi’ football an’ cricket, an’ games of all kinds
Recreations wor varied an’ many.
But still folks wor worried – they’d no peace o’ mind
Ther wor ‘nowhere ter spend a penny’!
So back to their fund-raisin’ efforts they went
Determined to put matters reight –
Soon, builders appeared wi’ ther bricks an’ cement
An ‘ to people’s relief an’ delight –
Theer stood t’ pavilion wi’ toilets an’ showers,
An changin’-rooms – one fer each team!
It med it worthwhile - all them back-breaking hours
It wor t’ ‘comin’ ter life of a dream!
At last – all wor finished, an ‘Sports Day’ wor due
So, t’ Committee decide ter mark
Their ’mission accomplished’ wi’ one last ‘Big Do’
An mek speeches, an unveil a plaque.
They asked t’ Ribble Valley and t’ Sports Council too
(Cos they’d both given grants, dos ter see),
An’ it worn’t very long afore all t’ village knew
They were sending a V.I.P.!
Mrs Diana (Wilkinson as was),
Who’d earned international fame,
An’ kept the flag flying for Britain – because
She’d swum in t’Olympic Games!
Well, t’ Big Day arrived, but it rained and it rained,
Of sunshine not even a glimmer,
But t’ Chairman remarked as we musn’t complain,
As t’ Chief Guest wor a wonderful swimmer!
A large crowd had gathered, in wellies and macs
Ee! Talk about watter on t’ brain –
It dripped off ther brollies an’ got down ther backs
Flamin’ June?? – yer can say that again!!
So – t’ speeches wor med (an’ we had quite a few!)
As befitted this mem’rable day
Then Diana drew t’ curtain an’ t’ plaque cem in view
An’ she had a few words ter say.
Thus cem ter fruition owd Rimington’s dream
An’ let’s follow Diana’s call
To always remember yon Sport’s Council’s theme
Cos we’ve got it right here – SPORT FOR ALL!
