Launch event for new flagship sports pavilion in Whitehill and Bordon
A launch event will be held to officially open the newly-completed Bordon and Oakhanger Sports Club (BOSC) in Whitehill and Bordon on Saturday 22 September, 11am – 4pm.
In celebration of the recently completed cricket pavilion and associated event facilities, former England cricketer Phil Tufnell will join members of The Whitehill & Bordon Regeneration Company and the local community for a day of live music, entertainment and creative activities.
The launch will take place at BOSC, Bolley Avenue, Whitehill and Bordon, GU35 9HG. Visitors are politely asked to park at the nearby Bordon Enterprise Park on Budds Lane. A shuttlebus will run from 10.00am between the two locations. Parking spaces at BOSC will be for disabled use only.
The itinerary for the day includes the following acts, although they are subject to changes:
11.00am – Seif and the Sound band
12.00 pm – Faye’s Drama – The Fire Fairy and the Rain Man (under 7’s)
12.30 pm – The Phoenix Dance Group – Lambeth Walk Dancers and Steel Pans
12.30pm – Former England cricketeer, Phil Tufnell, officially opens BOSC
1.00pm – Joe Waller singing (local X factor contestant)
1.30pm – Barn dancing
2.00pm – Local schools singing
2.30pm – Art V Motion – Latin dancing showcase & Junior Art V Motion junior dancers
3.00pm – Line dancing dance off – WBRC against Mill Chase School
3.00pm – Elithia singing
3.30pm – Good Times Roll Band
Throughout the day there will be many other activities, including art and sculpture making, sports activities and face painting. There will also be a barbeque, and a set menu for lunch at BOSC.
BOSC history
The Bordon and Oakhanger Sports Club (BOSC) has existed since 1910. The original clubhouse was built on Bolley Avenue in 1922 and acted as the army officer’s cricket pavilion. In 1995, as part of the VJ Day 50th Anniversary celebrations, BOSC was used for a cricket match between the Army and the town.
It is historically important to Whitehill and Bordon and its military past. Thousands of those currently recruited by the Army will have undergone training at Prince Philip Barracks, some of whom no doubt made use of the original BOSC facilities for a game of cricket. The Whitehill & Bordon Regeneration Company are bringing the pavilion back into use, providing a first-class sports, leisure and eventing facility for everyone living in the area.
In line with the area’s ‘Healthy Town’ status, residents may now benefit from the variety of sporting and leisure facilities contained within the new centre. Activities such as cricket, football, tennis and petanque, along with a children’s playground, are all accessible to members of the community.
The Pavilion
The pavilion is well kitted out for hosting sporting and leisure activities as well as social events. The ground floor clubroom is the ideal place to have a drink with friends after a game of tennis, cricket or petanque, or enjoy a three-course meal in a casual setting. It is fitted with several high-quality televisions that are perfect for viewing other sporting games, and there is an outdoor terrace for enjoying the cricket.
On the first floor is the function room, which is very grand with high ceilings, beautiful glass chandeliers, and detailed cornicing and wall panelling. It can cater for small or large gatherings, such as parties, weddings, corporate functions, social gatherings and special occasions. BOSC is now taking bookings for functions and events, including for Christmas parties and New Year’s celebrations.
The design
The colonial style is historically important to Bordon and its military past, so the building has been created with this style in mind both inside and out. The colour scheme is neutral, making the memorabilia walls the feature in the ground floor Clubroom. The banquette seats are upholstered with a ‘cricket ball stitch pattern’ to fit the Clubroom’s sporting theme and provide comfortable dining areas. Historic badges and shields are framed with colonial style wall panelling, which continues to the first-floor function room.
James Child, Project Lead, The Whitehill & Bordon Regeneration Company, said:
“BOSC has become a cornerstone of our efforts to support the local community. The opening of the new facilities signals many opportunities for residents to get active, socialise and celebrate key milestones. We look forward to officially opening this fantastic new facility and welcoming the local community to enjoy it.
“We would like to thank everyone who has been involved and supportive of the development of the new BOSC facilities and the launch event, including Mill Chase Academy, the Community Trust, Phil Tufnell, Carl Tantum MBE and founder of the Bordon Liphook Haslemere charity, who has offered to drive Phil Tufnell to the venue in a vintage Daimler.”
BOSC website: www.thebosc.co.uk