DEVIZES Budo Club are one step closer to having their new home after a fundraiser last Friday raised over £2,000.

More than 250 members of the club along with friends, family and others wanting to get involved took part in aikido, judo and karate over 24 hours.

The event jump started the club’s fundraising campaign to raise the £300k needed to build its new club.

Organiser Sian Revell, who is the club’s karate instructor, said: “We have been blown away by the support we have received, especially over the last few days.

“It was great to see members and their families come together, with everyone trying all the different types of martial arts.

“Once all the money has come in we estimate to have raised at least £2,000 and have also got sponsorship from several local businesses.”

The 50-year-old club teaches judo, aikido and karate and has over 80 members, predominantly juniors, along with a squad of 30 competing in national competitions.

It has been based behind the former Queen’s Head pub since 1965, with the Budo Club owning their building but not the land.

Now the land owner wants to redevelop the site, turning the old pub into homes along with two new cottages to be built at the front of the site.

The club got planning permission back in November for a new club to built in the car park of the town council allotment site on Windsor Drive, but need to find the money to build it.

They are hoping to raise the money needed within the next two years, but only have 18 months left on their lease before the building is to be demolished as part of the redevelopment.

If their new home on Windsor Drive is not ready at that point then the club will have to rent a temporary space until the building is finished.

Mrs Revell said: “We need to get to £50,000 before we can apply for grants and funding for the remaining amount.

“We currently have £24,000 raised over the past couple of years so we are half way there.”

The new building will have space for modern changing rooms, kitchen and meeting rooms as well as the main hall.

The next fundraising event being organised by the club is a summer ball on July 11 to be held at the Conservative Club in Devizes.