Nottingham Casuals RFC has recently seen its clubhouse upgraded, with new flooring donated by Forbo Flooring Systems and installed by FITA and WEBS Training apprentices.
Since its initial founding in 1922, Nottingham Casuals RFC has been a mainstay in the local community. Playing out of the Ken 
Allen-Smith Playing Fields, the club has become a key part of the surrounding area, with events regularly hosted at its clubhouse. After years of use, the existing floor coverings had begun to deteriorate and show their age, with the club keen to refurbish the space and continue building its offering.
Karl Pettit, President of Nottingham Casuals RFC, explained: “We were in desperate need of some high-quality flooring that would not only perform well within the space and stand up to daily wear and tear but also modernise and freshen up its appearance. However, these types of renovations can easily become expensive, with the materials themselves and the labour to install them.
“That’s why we were delighted when businesses like Forbo pitched in to help us out. They very kindly offered to donate a range of their high-performance flooring solutions and the teams at WEBS Training and FITA even arranged for some of their apprentices to come and fit it all.”
Across the project, Forbo kindly donated a range of its flooring solutions to refurbish the different areas of the building, including behind the bar, in the bathroom, across the main bar area and even the entranceway. Nottingham Casuals were also able to benefit from support by FITA and WEBS Training apprentices.
Adam Chapman, FITA Apprenticeship Training Officer, continued: “Being involved in this community installation project has been incredibly rewarding. What really made this project stand out was the opportunity it created for our apprentices. Not only did they gain real hands-on experience, but they also got to see the direct impact their work had on the community. It wasn’t just about the installation itself but about building skills, confidence and pride in contributing to something meaningful.”
10 apprentices were involved on the project, all coming from various local contractors and enrolled onto the FITA floor laying apprenticeship. One apprentice, Rowan Byrne, said of the job: “It was nice to be a part of something different to what I normally do and I’ve really enjoyed being involved from start to finish. Not only has it been valuable for our learning, but it’s nice to give something back to the community. It has also made me consider starting to play rugby again!”
Helen Davies, Floor Laying Training Coordinator at WEBS Training, who organised much of this project, spoke on the value it offered, saying: “This job was a fantastic opportunity for the apprentices to see a project outside of their normal working environments and outside of FITA – experiencing a real job with real-time obstacles that come along with it.”