APPLETON Cricket Club has won a grant from the Government’s £9.4 million community club development programme – monies which have been pledged to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for upgrading cricket club facilities.
The club was identified by the ECB as a club deserving support because of the strength of its junior cricket development programme.
A grant of £163,339 has provided a major contribution towards the cost of the club’s new pavilion and has covered the cost of a three-bay synthetic net practice area.
Club secretary Alan Rogers said: “We were really delighted and excited when we were awarded the grant because an improvement in our facilities was urgently needed.
“In recent times the club membership has grown – including a ladies section – and it was a priority to provide a new pavilion with up-graded changing rooms, showers and toilets. These new facilities are now in place and we have had a further increase in participation.
“We have over 120 junior cricketers and the excellent new synthetic pitches provide safe and secure practice facilities which are so important in the development of young players. These facilities have enabled us to extend our structured coaching programme.
“We are grateful to ECB for their most generous grant and we also acknowledge with gratitude the support given to us by the local councils, the Bridgewater High School, the Foundation for Sports and the Arts, the Wren Trust and our members. We regard the grant as an investment in cricket at the club for the future.”
Chief executive of Sport England Jennie Price said: “We are delighted to make this award to Appleton Cricket Club. The facility is key to the local development of cricket.
“The community club development programme represents a new way of working for Sport England whereby national governing bodies are involved in the initial selection of possible projects that should receive funding based on their new strategic plans. This programme is an innovative way of helping to ensure that community clubs- the heart of grass roots sports development in the country – receive the capital investment they need.”
