More than 600 trees are being planted alongside the new sports pitches for Vagabonds Rugby Club, Corinthians Football Club and Douglas Royal Football Club at Ballafletcher Sports Centre, Braddan. 

 
The first stage of the planting scheme is expected to be completed by the end of April, providing a future windbreak for the new rugby and football pitches created on former farmland at Ballafletcher which will also eventually include cricket pitches for the newly  created Vagabonds Cricket Club.

The Vagabonds clubhouse, in which Douglas Royal FC and Corinthians FC will share the changing room facilities, is also nearing completion and is scheduled for an official opening in late summer.

The sports pitches are both expected to be ready for use by the start of the 2010-2011 rugby and football seasons in August and September.

The trees are the first stage of a planned three-year tree planting programme to create small woods alongside the pitches.

Some of the funding for the tree planting scheme has been donated by the Isle of Man Government's Arbor Week scheme together with donations from Manx Telecom and local charity the Kelly Fogg Memorial Fund

Pictured: Members of Vagabonds Rugby Club and Douglas Royal Football Club are assisted by representatives of the Kelly Fogg Memorial Fund charity at Ballafletcher. Photograph by Bill Dale, isleofmanphotos.com.