WORK to turn Minehead Football Club's run-down grandstand, changing rooms and bar area into facilities fit for the 21st century will get underway tomorrow (Saturday).

As reported previously in the Free Press, the club signed a landmark deal in April with Minehead Town Council to secure a lease for its Irnham Road facilities for the next 25 years.

But although officials at the Somerset County League side are hoping to win desperately needed grant aid to mastermind a massive overhaul of the facilities, the first phase of the work will be carried out by volunteers over the next two weekends.

Minehead Football Academy chairman Adrian Giblett said officials were hoping as many people as possible would turn out to help kick-start the ambitious refurbishment.

"The first thing we have to do is make the building watertight," he said.

Volunteers will be working on painting and installing new aluminium panels on the outside of the building.

It is hoped the former Barringtons social venue, which is not included in the new lease, can also benefit from the spruce-up, if agreement can be reached with the town council which is mothballing that part of the building while it decides its long-term future.

The Free Press has been given a sneak preview of what the outside of the building should look like when the volunteer-led phase is completed (pictured).

Mr Giblett said the club would fund the estimated £4,000 to £5,000 cost of the initial work itself.

"It's an exciting time, the start of a new chapter in the club's history," said Mr Giblett.

"We've been waiting a long time and it's taken a lot of negotiations and patience to reach this stage but we really feel as though we are moving forward now."

If the club's bids to secure substantial grant aid are successful it hopes the total refurbishment will be completed in time for its 125th anniversary in October 2014.

In addition to making the building watertight, the work needing to be carried out in the future includes the installation of new heating, refurbishment of the changing rooms and showers, updating the electrics and putting in a new kitchen, as well as complete redecoration.

"We are concentrating on the outside of the building in the first instance and work on the inside will hopefully get underway when we secure some grants," said Mr Giblett.

"We are just hoping that the community will turn out over the next two weekends to help us achieve the start of the dream."

Anyone wanting to help can just turn up anytime at the Irnham Road ground between 9am and 5pm tomorrow, Sunday and next weekend.