A COMMUNITY rugby club which needs to raise £13,000 in just 48 hours to pay for a revamp of its clubhouse has appealed for help.

Wensleydale RUFC has already secured £382,000 through grants, loans, donations and fundraising initiatives, but has to find the remainder of the money needed for the work before Friday.

If it fails to raise the funding by the deadline, it could lose money already pledged.

The improvements will see six new changing rooms, a new kitchen and an extension of the car park built at the club's Cawkill Park ground near Leyburn, North Yorkshire.

The club launched an appeal to find £43,000 eight days ago after a shortfall became apparent when a potential funder withdrew, however £30,000 has already been secured.

Among the initiatives launched to raise the money was a Unicorn Club which asks members to donate £1,000 in return for five years of membership, plus benefits including England international tickets and free use of the clubhouse.

Lee Featherstone, one of the club members co-ordinating the project, said: "We have raised an amazing amount of money so far but are still £13,000 short - although this is changing by the hour.

"I would like to thank everyone who has either become a Unicorn member or donated a sum of money.

"We appreciate that times are tight and we have come to the community as a last resort after hoping that the grants etc would cover the costs.

"By September 10 we need to have all our funding lined up and matching the building costs or we could start to lose parts of it."

Mr Featherstone said members had been working on the redevelopment plans for more than three years.

"Having been on the journey with a small band of dedicated people spending untold hours trying to get this to happen we are very close indeed.

"Any help, guidance or donations would be very well received."

Among the money already secured by the club is £100,000 grant from the RFU with a long-term loan of a further £100,000, plus £75,000 from Sport England and £25,000 from Yorventure.

The club has more than 200 active members, including a senior team playing in Yorkshire Division Four and at least 150 junior players who compete against clubs from across the North-East and Yorkshire.

If you can help the club, email leenfeatherstone@btinternet.com