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The cause of a fire which ripped through and destroyed Gilfach Bowling Club’s pavilion will probably remain unknown, investigators have admitted.
Emergency services were called to Gilfach Bowling Club, which is on Maes y Graig, at around 6.50am on Wednesday, June 1.
More than a week on, club captain Kristian Crocker told Caerphilly Observer members were still “lost for words” but that the club had been “overwhelmed” by the support it had received.
The pavilion was insured by Caerphilly County Borough Council and the club are in discussions with the local authority to work out a way forward.
While the club has vowed to rebuild, its ability to raise revenue to fund what it does has been hit.
Kristian said: “It has been an absolute nightmare. It’s not just affected our playing members, but our social members. We’ve had to move our poker nights and our quiz nights to another venue.
“The summer is a busy time of year. We make most of our profits during that time which helps keep the club going. We’re not going to be able to get that revenue and it will be a real struggle.”
Kristian said the club would like to thank everyone who has helped out – especially Bargoed Bowls Club, which has offered the use of its ground, and Barry Athletic Bowls Club which set up a GoFundMe appeal which has already reached £5,000.
He added: “We have been overwhelmed by the support from across the country and from other countries. We’ve had donations from a bowls club in America.”
Aside from the financial hit, the club is still coming to terms with the loss of its history.
“We have lost 95 years of history,” said Kristian. “The walls were plastered with photos and memorabilia. We’ve had county winners, Commonwealth medalists. The club has a rich history and we are devastated that we have lost that.
“It will be really sad when, and if, we walk through the doors [of a new pavilion] the walls are not going to be plastered with the same history.”
The cause of the fire is unknown, and Kristian said they have heard nothing from the fire service and the police. It feels, he said, like the authorities have “brushed it under the carpet”.
Discussions with the council are ongoing, but the club is hopeful a new future can be plotted.
Kristian said: “We don’t have a way forward yet. We’ll be sitting down with the council and hoping to get a plan in place. The priority for us is to demolish what’s left so they can put a portakabin in place for us to play on our home ground.
“We really want to reach out to businesses to help us raise as much money as we can really.”
A spokesperson from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said its investigation was complete but the cause of the fire “will remain unknown”.
The spokesperson added: “Due to the extent of the damage following the fire, it wasn’t possible to determine the exact cause of the incident.”
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