A FOOTBALL club at the heart of its Oxford community is set to launch a £750,000 fundraising campaign.

Marston Saints Football Club, based in Boults Lane, has planning permission to build a new pavilion to provide a home for its growing girls’, boys’ and men’s teams.

But the club must raise about £750,000 for the building work.

More than 200 girls and boys play in the 15 youth teams, while up to 50 adults play in the two men’s teams.

Eddy Aldworth, the vice-chairman of the club and chairman of the fundraising committee, said: “It’s hugely important to children in the area.

“It’s the single largest organisation in Marston in terms of membership, and if you include managers, parents and coaches, it affects hundreds and hundreds of people.

“It’s a huge part of my life, as it is with other committee members, managers, assistants and the kids themselves.”

The current clubhouse was built more than 20 years ago and is now dilapidated. When it was constructed, the club fielded just two teams.

The new building would have four changing rooms, all with showers, two referees’ rooms, and a club room, as well as storage space for grounds equipment.

Mr Aldworth, whose two children Skye, 13 and Macauley, 12, are both members of the club, said: “There’s absolutely no point in us replacing the building we have if you’ve got the same amount of space.

“If we didn’t get a new clubhouse, we could still play football, but we would be standing still, never being able to develop the club and move forwards.

“What we have got isn’t fit for use and we would end up spending more and more on maintenance than it’s worth.”

The club has set an initial target of raising £10,000 by the end of the financial year next April and is in the early stages of putting together bids for grants from organisations such as the Football Foundation. Marston Parish Council has pledged to support the project, but an amount has not yet been set.

Mr Aldworth said the planning permission had a three-year time limit, so the bulk of the money would need to be raised in the next two years.

The club has already improved its playing area, replacing a single large pitch with three pitches – one junior size, one three-quarter and one full-size, which cost just under £100,000.

Anyone who would like to contribute to the fundraising campaign or offer their help should call Mr Aldworth on 07778 237732.