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FAQs
Who will run the pavilion?
The key to a sustainable pavilion is a commercially viable pavilion. Making this happen is a core part of the new design. We’ve already got interest from parties who want to operate the new café. Picking the right partner will be important. That’s why we’re looking for a volunteer Commercial Director who has expertise in hospitality and can lead the selection process. If that’s you, please get in touch.
Who is the ultimate owner of the Pavilion and what happens to the money raised both now and in future?
Richmond Council owns the current structure and will own the new pavilion. As a charity, we’ve negotiated a 25-year lease for the pavilion, which was signed on 25 June 2025. As such, every penny raised, and every penny spent, will be compliant with our objectives as a registered charity (Moormead Community and Sports Pavilion, Registered Charity No 1179951)
What experience does the core pavilion team have to raise the necessary funds?
This is a community effort. It draws on the passion, goodwill and generosity of people who share a desire to see a new modern, inclusive and sustainable Pavilion replace the current derelict eyesore. We are fortunate that within our community we can draw on a core group of volunteers who bring their professional experience in business, commercial fundraising, community engagement, bid writing, marketing and public relations to help co-ordinate and drive this project. If you have skills you feel you can contribute, please do get involved.
What is the rationale behind the design?
The current pavilion was built more than 80 years ago. The new, sustainable pavilion will function in a completely different way. That’s what it needs a completely different design. This design (and this entire project) is guided by five core objectives:
Giving people access to live sport
We appreciate that elderly grandparents and parents with infants/babies want to come to Moormead Park to watch their children or grandchildren play sports. But some can’t do that because there is nowhere to shelter from rain or cold. Having enough indoor space for families to watch the action or take a break is an important factor in helping families decide to come to Moormead Park regularly. The choice of a transparent material for the front of the pavilion as a building material (rather than using the existing brickwork) supports this objective. We want to maintain the connection with the outdoor space even when people use the pavilion.
Inclusivity
The old structure was not inclusive as it was designed for use by "traditional" (e.g. football, cricket) sportspeople. The new pavilion is designed to be used by the whole community every day, not just when organised sport is played. For example, we have created a community space that can be used for dementia-friendly physical activities, like indoor curling and table cricket.
The old design focused on a narrow segment of our community drawn mostly from football/cricket players. In particular, the kitchen facilities were only used to serve sports club members and the toilets were not available to most users of the park. Similarly, the toilets were part of the changing rooms and so not accessible to members of the public. There was no indoor seating space for less abled visitors to the park. Moormead needs an inclusive pavilion that can be enjoyed by the whole community.
Efficient use of space
The new rounded design creates a better use of space. The existing pavilion had separate changing rooms for home and away teams accessed by separate entrances. This made a rectangular shape an efficient design. The new design does not provide for showers/changing rooms as all the local clubs have indicated they will not use them.
The new pavilion will not receive operating subsidies. This means that it must be economically sustainable; the kitchen and community space in the pavilion are the means by which the pavilion achieves economic sustainability – which allows the toilets to be maintained. This new requirement for a cafe and community space to serve the wider public creates the need for a different kind of building. The design by local architect 50 Degrees North captures all these requirements in an elegant, efficient and sustainable design that will serve our community for many years to come.
Respond to community feedback
We’ve responded to feedback asking that the new building be lower in height compared to the old building. The green roof will also present a green elevation to the nearest homes which has been welcomed.
The accessible toilet with baby changing facilities, accessed via the community space, needs to be separate from the toilets which can be accessed directly from the park (particularly by sportspeople with muddy boots). To allow people to remain in the park (i.e. not to enter a structure), we were advised in a pre-planning assessment conducted by Richmond Council to introduce a hatch to serve light refreshments directly to the public. For efficiency, this hatch must be located next to the kitchen. To provide some shelter for people that wish to remain in the park and watch sports, we‘ve designed a small canopy at the edge of the roof.
These new requirements, which were not previously necessary and were not a part of the existing derelict pavilion, inform the design of the new pavilion. The result is that the kitchen and toilets will be located in completely different places.
Environment friendly
There’s a strong preference for the green roof that we’ve proposed. This allows the new pavilion to create a net gain for wildlife habitat. Also, the green roof will direct rainwater into the local sewer and reduce flood risk. The canopy at the edge of the roof will support a 4.44kWp PV solar array. This is estimated to create an annual saving of 663 kg of CO2. Or, put another way, the PV array will reduce the pavilion’s energy consumption by 32% from 8,905 kWh p.a. to 6,059 kWh p.a. The green roof and solar panels mean that the new pavilion will no longer need the existing terracotta roof tiles.
What happens if the community doesn't meet the target needed to rebuild the pavilion?
The community is behind this project and we believe we can hit our target.
Moormead Community & Sports Pavilion is a registered charity. Our objectives control how we spend the money we raise. Our objectives are threefold:
To provide or assist in the provision of facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation and other leisure time occupation of individuals in Twickenham and the surrounding area who have need of such facilities by reason of their youth, age, infirmity or disability, financial hardship or social circumstances with the object of improving their conditions of life.
The promotion of community participation in healthy recreation in particular for the benefit of the inhabitants of Twickenham and the surrounding area by the provision of facilities for participating in (but not limited to) football, cricket, athletics and cycling.
The provision of public toilet facilities for the public benefit at Moormead Community & Sports Pavilion, Moormead Park, Twickenham.
Do you have a Safeguarding policy?
Moormead Community & Sports Pavilion (MCSP) is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all individuals who engage with our charity, including staff, trustees, volunteers and members of the public. To read more about our safeguarding policy, please click below.