A JUNIOR football boss looking for cash to do up his team’s delapidated pavilion has said trustees at the Alderley Edge Institute told him they only give money to "nice people".
Jonathan Rowley, chairman of the Alderley Athletic Junior Football Club, met with trustees for a second stab at getting hold of £50,000 to renovate the team’s pavilion at their Chorley Hall Lane pitch.
He had prepared responses to criteria set out by the Trust to better his application - but Jonathan, who criticised the Trust in the Express earlier in the year when his application was first rejected, said that trustees "got personal" when he met with them on March 26.
Mr Rowley said: "They gave me a real grilling and said I was bullying them by going to the press and they only gave money to nice people.
"I couldn’t believe it, they got very personal."
The meeting with the trustees, who hold the key to the funds from the sale of St Philip’s Institute put aside for community causes, happened after Jonathan responded to a number of criteria set for his re-application.
But they have turned down his application again, saying that, after further discussion, they "did not feel able to support it".
And Mr Rowley says he doesn’t have the energy to complain to the Charity Commission.
While junior footballers "The Squirrels" have had little luck with getting funding elsewhere, they have done what they can to do up their pavilion and improvements have been made to the kitchen, roof, toilets and tiling.
The team welcomed the Alderley Edge Nomads for a game at Chorley Hall Lane - and got to use their pavilion for the first time.
Mr Rowley said: "It was great being able to use the pavilion, we served tea and coffee to parents and the kids had hot dogs.
"We’ve done the bare essentials to get the pavilion usable and had 70 kids there enjoying it.
"If the Trust could see all the children using the pavilion they would realise it’s a worthy community project.
"The Nomads have had £8,000 from the Institute so why not us?
"I’m very disappointed."
The Squirrels’ applications for lottery funding and money from the Airport Community Trust have both been turned down.
And while Manchester City manager Mark Hughes has donated some signed photos, there have been further let-downs from other professionals, including Wayne Rooney.
Jonathan added: "We are proud to have reinstated the pavilion so we can use it but need more money to finish the job.
"It’s been a disappointing campaign and we welcome any help."
The chairman of the Alderley Edge Institute Trust Roger Williams declined to comment.
Trust funds have shrunk from £931,128 in December 2007 to £650,000 - with only £106,000 given as grants and the rest lost on the stock market.
The accounts can be viewed at the Charity Commission website and will be updated until December 2008 on April 30.
Contact Mr Rowley on 07817 390072 to help out, donate or fundraise for Alderley Athletic.
