I'm sure many readers will have heard about our storage container fire over the Christmas holiday period which destroyed much of our playing and training equipment.

The response to our loss has been amazing and on behalf of all at Berry Hill RFC I would like to thank all those who have contacted the club to offer help either financially or in the short term with spares so as not to have an impact matches.

Anyone involved in a sports club knows that equipment doesn't come cheap and keeping it up to date can be managed within a budget by replacing and updating over the years. However, the problem occurs when you lose nearly all of it in one go, as this puts a major strain on a club's finances.

In due course, as we receive our replacements we will make our thanks more public. However, for now our thanks to Mr Keith Bell, Dave Balmer and Gloucester RFC, Drybrook RFC, Andy Deacon, Don Parsons (FOD RDO), Berry Hill and District parish council and the Forest of Dean Lions Club for everything you have offered and done so far in helping us minimise the impact on our rugby club. We are all extremely grateful.

– Lee Osborne, secretary,