Ponteland Rugby Club have raised £23,042 through donations and Sports England.

The club set up a crowdfunder to raise funds after the coronavirus pandemic wiped out a year of their fundraising.

Events such as Ponteland Beer Festival and the Annual Golf Day Classic were also cancelled due to restrictions.

Events like this are normally key fundraising events, the club said.

Sport England contributed additional funding to each donation made to their crowdfunding page.

The money raised will help keep the club afloat, and will help them provide additional equipment, as well as adapt some, for use at the new sports centre in Ponteland. 

They will also use funding to hire the all-weather training facilities.

The club also said if they raised more than their target, they would use the money to erect perimeter fencing to the pitch and provide strips for their newly-formed ladies section.

Club President Tony Murphy said: “Ponteland Rugby Club has played an important role within the community since our beginnings in 1967.

“The club is overwhelmed with the support received by the local community throughout this period and we now look forward to an exciting future.

“The next two years are huge for Ponteland Rugby Club as the landscape of Ponteland changes, we plan a number of big changes too.

“By raising these funds, the club is now in a position where it can contribute to the Ponteland community and provide opportunities to make more memories than ever before.”