A GWENT rugby club which almost had to shut after facing £3,000 of debt held a fundraising event on Saturday night to help pay for much-needed refurbishments.

Since August last year, parts of Pontllanfraith Rugby Football Club’s building have been falling into ruin and the club was struggling to pay its bills.

The club, which serves as a regular social venue for local residents, had been relying entirely on volunteers to keep the venue going, with the club’s players even having to work behind the bar voluntarily.

But on Saturday night the club raised more than £700 in a fundraising event which saw more than 100 people attend.

Performers at the event included Blackwood band 4th Street Traffic who supported Stereophonics when they opened a 2010 concert in Cardiff City Stadium which attracted 30,000 people.

Natalie Lammert, one of the organisers and whose partner is the club’s committee treasurer, revealed £766.79 had been raised on the night – not including a “massive amount” of revenue taken in at the bar which is yet to be counted.

A signed Newport Dragons shirt was auctioned for £200 while a Bryn Meadows golf voucher sold for £160.

Ms Lammert said: “It was a fantastic night. We raised a lot of money and fingers crossed, with a few more nights like this we should be well on our way to restoring the club.”

In early February local plumber Greg Churcher, the Croespenmaen branch of Travis Perkins and Blackwood Carpets pledged a total of £2,500 worth of services and products to help refurbish the neglected building – but more is still needed.

Ms Lammert said: “So far we have refurbished the ladies toilets. But to be honest, it all needs to be done.

“We are planning to do the whole clubhouse, it’s all on the to-do list. But we need to take it one step at a time and room by room.”

The fundraising campaign also has an online fundraising site at website GoFundMe which allows people all over the world to donate. So far £545 has been raised through the site.

Ms Lammert also wanted to thank the “long list of people” who made donations and gave items to the raffle. To donate to the fundraising campaign visit www.gofundme.com/lliai4.