IMPROVEMENTS to Helston Athletic’s home ground could get a boost in the region of £60,000 – if their latest funding bid is successful.

The Blues are looking to install a 100 seat capacity grandstand, floodlights, new pitch barriers and perimeter fencing to Kellaway Park in 2015.

With the features from the project, which will cost £85,000 to complete, it would see the ground meet ground criteria necessary for promotion to play in the South West Peninsula League’s Premier Division.

Having already been granted planning permission last year for the work, the club have been looking to find the funding for the plans.

Now Athletic have submitted a bid to the Football Foundation Development Grant scheme which could provide 70 per cent of the required finances for the building work should the club earn promotion from the West Division in May.

Blues chairman Paul Hendy said: “We have to have this work done to the ground or at least agreed to be done within 12 months if we are promoted up to the Premier.

“The view from us is that if we have it all organised by the point where we could achieve promotion, then we’ll be staying one step ahead.

“If we were to get promoted and then have to sort out the works and funding, it would be catastrophic if we didn’t get it all done and were then forced to be relegated.”

Peterborough-based firm Sports Ground Developments have been brought in by Athletic to manage the bid, with staff there having an 100 per cent record of getting funding in the past.

A decision on the bid will be announced in February by the Football Association.

If successful, the club are aiming to get all the work completed by September 2015.

Hendy said he would be very proud if the project comes into fruition.

“When I became chairman in June 2013, one of the commitments I made was that I would like to get this work sorted,” he said.

“These are really exciting times with the plans and also Sid [Taylor] doing a fantastic job with the team on the pitch.

“The facilities may help us attract more good players to our club and will also give us the option of evening football.

“Community is a big thing for us and when you consider the community clubs and visiting teams who use the venue every week, I think we get about 1,000 using the ground and these improvements will help getting even more coming here.”