Whitehaven are to launch a new fundraising group for the club to bolster the current playing squad.
The now defunct Vice Presidents Club used to provide between £20,000 and £60,000 each year to be used in signing experienced players.
It was vital that Whitehaven found a replacement group and that has now been confirmed with the formation of the Whitehaven Warriors Squad Builder.
A meeting at the ground last week was well attended, enough to provide offers of help for the squad builder effort and other important tasks at the Championship club.
Chief executive Lee Butterworth confirmed last night that the squad builder group was up and running with the blessing of family members from the old VP Club.
He said: “We are not going to revive the name, because that will be the lasting legacy of Des and Ron, but former committee members have contacted us to give their approval and support.
“They did such a superb job for the club over many years and it was vital that we found a way of reproducing their kind of financial support.
“People, who attended our meeting, or who have reached out since then have provided volunteers for other important areas of the club – in IT work and in hospitality.
“Our club lottery used to produce around £20,000 a year but has fallen away and I’m pleased to say that an individual with 40 years experience in the gambling trade has offered to come in and help revive that.
“One of the pleasing things about all this has been the fact we are seeing new faces coming forward to volunteer their help, which they have not done before.”
A spokesman for the company said: “Rugby league runs deep in West Cumbria — and Whitehaven is a huge part of that story.
“Backing local sport means backing the people, families and volunteers who keep it going week in, week out. The graft, the pride, the matchdays — it’s what makes our community special.
“We’ve said it before and we’ll keep saying it — if we build our business here, we support here. More to come as we continue investing across our community.”
