A campaign to revive a community centre in Crosland Moor has been launched.
New people have been drafted in to secure the future of the Muhammad Ali Sports and Community Centre on the Walpole estate.
And they hope to attract grants to carry out essential repairs to the building, once home to the David Brown Sports and Social Club.
It was used as a base for the engineering firm’s many successful sports teams over the years.
A family gala marked the start of the new era and was backed by many local families.
The club has been relaunched after 20 years.
It had been neglected for years but work has now been completed on the clubhouse roof and the interior has been redecorated by committee members.
A partnership has already been agreed between the club with the neighbouring Moorend Academy which will maintain the sports field in exchange for some usage for their students, and also for the loan of changing room facilities.
The next step is to get the club players into the cricket and football teams.
Clr Molly Walton of the Kirklees Council Cabinet has been co-opted onto the club committee along with Peter Turner, who chairs the Friends of Beaumont Park, and Bob Mortimer who has years of experience in local sport.
Mr Turner is drawing up a plan intended to secure the financial future of the club by submitting bids to various organisations.
They hope they will enable the club to become self-financing by renting out the premises and field to local groups as well as holding fundraising events.
Clr Walton said: “The gala was the first of a number of events which we hope the surrounding community will support.
“On behalf of the committee I would like to give huge thanks to Donna and Tracy and their team from Kirklees who organised numerous events for the youngsters throughout the day and also to local residents for their support.”
Several years ago the club was planning a £1m Lottery bid to try and fund an extensive development but club officials were unable to provide match funding and the bid never went ahead.
The centre, in Gilbert Grove, consists of a small meeting room and a bar area. It also has several sports pitches.
It was owned by the African Caribbean Sports Development Trust.
