AFTER four years of hard work behind the scenes, the labour has started on a brand spanking new sports pavilion for the community of Stamfordham.

The village hall committee successfully secured Sport England funding - at the third time of asking - to go along with the £50,000 raised locally for the £125,000 structure.

Committed members of the committee headed to the venue on Monday to cut the first bit of turf, and make way for the diggers from Hexham company MTW Joinery to get the work started in earnest.

The current pavilion, used by Stamfordham Cricket Club on a Saturday afternoon and Ponteland United Stamfordham Football Club on a Sunday morning, was well past its sell by date and was in desperate need of being replaced.

The structure was purchased as a second hand hut from Corbridge Golf Club in the 1960s, and it wasn't in the best state of repair even then.

The community were determined to provide a state-of-the-art pavilion, and has agreed on a timber framed building covering 180 square metres.

The building will come with two changing rooms, a bar and kitchen area, and will be opened up for all community events and not just for sports.

The project has been led by Richie Gledson, a cricketer for the village's West Tyne League team, who was delighted to finally have secured funding to help turn dreams into reality.

He said: "While the pavilion had done a sterling job over the years, it wasn't a facility we could grow football or cricket in the village from.

"We were rejected for funding by Sport England twice, but we finally got the funding and we're so grateful for that.

"On top of that, the community of Stamfordham raised £50,000 through various fund-raisers and that is really remarkable for such a small village and small community.

"It just shows the strong sense of support for the pavilion up there."

With the work starting this week, a grand opening of the pavilion is planned for January, if all goes to plan.

But it should be ready well ahead of the start of the 2018 cricket season when Stamfordham go looking for promotion back to Division One after just missing out this year on the final day.

They didn't end the season empty handed, however, and clinched both the Division Two KO Cup and the Twenty20 Cup.

The club, along with the football team, are hoping the new pavilion will encourage more people to play sport in the village, or come to watch.

Gledson said: "It is a big opportunity for sports and social events to grow as having this facility is a big coup for the village, and we can't wait for it to be finished.

"The project is ran by the village hall and the cricket club is one of the main beneficiaries of it, but it will become all encompassing.

"It gives us a chance to provide other sports, and bowls and a tennis court is something we can look at going forward.

"As a village, Stamfordham is really forward thinking and has just completed a play park, and the pavilion is just the next project."