Cartha Queens Park (CQP) RFC is a vibrant not-for-profit community rugby club, situated in the southside of Glasgow. Incorporating Shawlands RFC, with over 400 members, CQP RFC fields four senior men’s teams, two senior women’s teams, seven secondary school-age teams and over 200 youth players. Our men’s 1st XV earned promotion into BT National 1 league at the end of last season, whilst our women’s teams play in the BT Women’s Premier League.

CQP RFC works with Community Development Officers and provides free facilities for school rugby matches and events, as well as supplying coaches to local schools. The club’s facilities are used by a wide variety of community organisations for all kinds of events, including Bellahouston Harriers running club, football, dog shows, children’s and schools’ sports and family fun days, to name a few!

Aside from the current bar staff, everybody who contributes to the running of this busy club does so on a voluntary basis, and we are extremely grateful to our sponsors who allow us to annually maintain and support such a large rugby community. However, as we enter 2018, we find ourselves needing to raise additional capital for vital work to the grounds.

Like every rugby club, CQP works throughout the year to upkeep and maintain our pitches. Our hardworking team of volunteer grounds staff work tirelessly to ensure that as many games and training sessions can proceed as possible.

At Dumbreck we are unfortunate to suffer from the silt nature of the ground, as well as temperamental Scottish weather. As it currently stands, without serious renovation work to the drainage systems, we will reach a point within one season where the pitches will become unusable during winter. Such a scenario would mean spending considerably more club funds on external pitch hire for training and games. There is a high potential that the pitches will become unusable in the long term. This will affect club members at all levels, from the minis to the seniors and the ever-committed supporters.

For this reason, in 2018 CQP will need to commit a large amount of resources to renovating the drainage systems in all three pitches, adding sand and gravel banding to the entire grounds. This is a large-scale project but one that needs to be completed to secure the future of the grounds. This project will cost approximately £20,000 - a daunting sum!

During the first half of 2018, we as a club are putting together a fundraising campaign to safeguard the future of the rugby we play at Dumbreck. We will be holding events, collecting loose change, appealing to local and national businesses, and sourcing any funds that we can to enable us to raise this money and complete the much-needed work.
Each and every member, former member and friend of the club is invited to join the effort to save our grounds - after all, no pitches, no rugby! You can contribute in many ways, whether it be donating a pound (or several!) to the online crowdfunding, contributing some time to help with events or assisting the fundraising team - your club needs you more than ever!

Please click the link below to reach our crowdfunding page:

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/carthaqueensparkrfc

If you would like to get involved or contribute to the campaign in any way, please contact Helen Dennison at carthaladies@gmail.com - we value every member's contribution, in any shape or size!