Mansfield Town owners donate £15k to Harriers for athletics track, via Radford Foundation

From left are Radford Foundation trustee Nik Springthorpe, Mansfield Harriers chairman Pat Carlan and Mansfield Town manager Nigel Clough at Berry Hill athletics track.

The charity – set up by Mansfield Town owners John and Carolyn Radford – is dedicated to giving a helping hand in the local community.

The foundation’s latest donation will see state-of-the-art floodlights added to the Berry Hill athletics track, to allow members of the Mansfield Harriers Athletics Club to train into the night.

Along with allowing members of the athletics club to train at night, the floodlights will also add much-needed light to the park as a whole, making it a safer place for all after dark.

Nik Springthorpe, trustee of the Radford Foundation, said: “It was a pleasure to meet Pat, who is the chairman of the Mansfield Harriers, who have been going for 100 years.

“As with many athletics clubs that are independent, Mansfield Harriers are reliant on funding.

“The backing has to come from Pat Carlan [Mansfield Harriers chairman] and the donations he can acquire, so the Radford Foundation was more than happy to help.

“We’ve donated £15,000 towards helping them upgrade the floodlights. Mansfield Harriers has children from all age groups and adults training with them, so to upgrade the floodlights and allow them to use the track during the evening, I think is great for the community.

“Both John and Carolyn [Radford], who set up the Foundation, have a sole intent of being able to give back to the community.

“I think this donation is an excellent addition as part of their work within the community.”

Chairman of Mansfield Harriers, Pat Carlan, said: “The donation will go towards the refurbishment of the floodlights, which will make the facility useable at night.

“When it’s dark, we cannot use the track or the surrounding area, so lighting is everything really. We can’t use the facility at night without lighting.

“It will enable us to have training nights and enable the local community to walk through the park more safely, as it will be floodlit.

“It’s vital at this time as health and wellbeing is paramount. It opens up opportunities for exercise and enables people to exercise in the evening as well as the daytime.

“The Radford Foundation has been a significant help to Mansfield Harriers as it’s allowed us to do what we do – without the donation from The Radford Foundation, lots of sporting events or sessions couldn’t go ahead.

“The community and the athletics club are very grateful to The Radford Foundation.”