St Olave’s Snooker Club – Creating a More Accessible Community Space

A £25,000 grant from Manx Lottery Trust has helped transform St Olave’s Snooker Club in Ramsey, creating a warmer, safer and more accessible facility for its members and the wider community.

Awarded through Dormant Assets funding, the grant supported the Club’s ‘Green Sky’ project, contributing towards accessibility improvements as part of a wider programme of renovation works.

The project has included improved entrance arrangements and new toilet facilities, including dedicated disabled and ladies’ facilities, helping to remove some of the barriers that previously limited who could comfortably access and use the Club. Other renovation work has included improvements to the building’s interior, lighting and facilities.

The difference is already being felt by St Olave’s existing members, with around 40–50 people directly benefiting from the improvements so far. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with members reporting that the Club now feels more inclusive, comfortable and fit for purpose.

The project has also created an opportunity for St Olave’s to broaden its role within the Ramsey community.

With the improved facilities now in place, the Club is looking to welcome groups which have historically been under-represented, particularly women and people with disabilities. Outreach has already begun with local community organisations, including Ramsey Women’s Running Club, with plans for open events and introductory sessions to encourage more people to use the facilities.

The improvements have also generated a renewed sense of pride among existing members, many of whom volunteered their own time to help support the delivery of the project.

The grant has been instrumental in enabling the successful delivery of this project, and we simply could not have achieved this transformation, or our ambitions to broaden access, without the support of Manx Lottery Trust.

With the renovation complete and community engagement now underway, St Olave’s hopes the number of people benefiting from the project will continue to grow, strengthening the Club’s position as an inclusive and welcoming community asset for Ramsey and the wider Isle of Man.