A RIBBLE Valley football club is aiming to raise £200,000 to ‘secure the future of the club’.

Langho Football Club is aiming to built a new floodlit 3G pitch and install drainage at its site off Longsight Road.

The club gained planning permission 12 months ago and has raised around £45,000 so far through a series of events.

It hopes to complete the building work by the summer after securing a £50,000 grant from Sport England to help fund the project The new facilities would save the club up to £15,000 a year as it currently has to hire out sports halls for training sessions during the winter months.

Matches at the club’s ground have been affected due to the recent bad weather with many being cancelled or postposed.

The club is applying for other grants to help cover the cost of the new pitch and drainage.

More than 250 people are involved in the club across 25 age groups and two senior teams.

Club chairman Ray Grimshaw said: “This project will have a massive impact on the club and would help secure it for the future.

“We are spending a lot of money at the moment hiring out sports halls which could be put to better use after the pitch is built.

“The recent wet weather has caused us a lot of problems and the drainage would really help sort that.

“The whole club is pulling together to organise events and try to raise as much money as possible.

“I hope the work will be completed by the summer so we can start to see the benefits going into the autumn.”

As part of the fund raising efforts, the under 18’s are holding a race night on March 8, at the club from 7.30pm. Call 01254 245976 for details.