On Monday 5th December, Frome Town Council won the Non-League Club Award at the Football Supporters Association Awards, the first time the award has ever been awarded to a town council. In a strong category of clubs from across the UK, FTC were chosen for their work securing the Badgers Hill Stadium in Frome and protecting the future of Frome’s lively and varied footballing scene. The judges chose Frome Town Council for their vision of the stadium and buildings as a multifunctional community asset, alongside their work with Frome’s football club.
In October 2022, Frome Town Council stepped in to prevent the imminent closure of the Badger’s Hill stadium. As a result, the not-for-profit Frome Town Community Benefit Society (FTCBS) was formed to manage the site and develop the stadium as a thriving, multipurpose community asset, as well as working with Frome Town AFC to maintain the strong footballing tradition in Frome. The award recognises the achievements of the FTCBS so far, which took over the management of Badgers Hill following the sale.
Mel Usher, lead councillor on the Badgers Hill project said:
“This national award is a fantastic endorsement of all the hard work put in by the FTCBS, by Frome Town Council and all the members of the community who have contributed to the project. The work is far from over, but the future is bright for football in Frome and we’re proud to have retained the stadium and clubhouse for the benefit of everyone in the town. The newly elected board of directors are looking forward to working with Frome Town AFC, Frome Town Supporters Club and everyone with an interest in the future of Badgers Hill.”
Peter Wheelhouse, Economic Development and Regeneration Manager at Frome Town Council attended the awards ceremony in London with Cllr Lisa Merryweather, Lester Silk from Frome Town Supporters Club and Derek Graham, Chairman of Frome Town AFC. The award was presented by Victoria Derbyshire at Nobu in Portman Square, London, on Monday 4th December.
More information about the FTCBS can be found at https://badgershillnews.org. More about the Football Supporter’s Association is at https://thefsa.org.uk.
