WORK on Rhyl and District’s new £1.25 million sports and community hub will begin next week.

The area will consist of a clubhouse with private function rooms, bars, meeting facilities, a gymnasium, a kitchen and changing rooms as well as rugby pitches, floodlighting and car parking at Tynewydd Road playing fields.

A 25-year interim lease and a full 125-year lease will be provided by Denbighshire Council, and the scheme is being backed by Communities First, the Welsh Government’s anti-poverty programme for deprived areas, and funding is being sought from the Welsh Government Community Facilities Programme, WREN, Sport Wales, Welsh Rugby Union and the Gwynt y Mor offshore windfarm community fund.

Richard Greenwood, said: “We are very excited at the prospect of bringing 20 community groups from the rugby club to the new site, along with important developments from Communities First, who we have been working with, and we will be working with CAIS to create a drop-in centre with training and instructional courses.

“This will be a community facility in a location that isn’t very well served - the big focus for us all on this project is the reduction of poverty, improvement of job prospects and the health and well-being of our younger residents.”

There was further cause for celebration as the club also announced that all tickets have now been sold for the dinner to honour Mr Greenwood, which will feature Wales and British and Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland as a special guest.

The event, which will take place on Saturday, January 27 has generated an “enormous amount of support”, according to a club spokesman.