Target reached!
The club in continually looking to reinvest, whether that be replacing older machine...
Atherton CC New Roller Fund
Manchester, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom
Aim
Our cricket pitch needs a new roller so we can continue to prepare safe cricket wickets to the standard required.
Who are we?
We are a family-oriented community cricket club in the heart of Howe Bridge with a proud history going back 150 years, run by a dedicated army of volunteers.
We run 3 senior teams, 5 junior teams plus ECB AllStars which provides cricket for people of all ages, starting at 4 up to 60+
Aside from cricket, the club plays a pivotal role in the community with many great events each year, such as our family fun day, music festival and the halloween fireworks spectacular.
Why are we crowdfunding?
During COVID the club's income fell dramatically as the first lockdown came right at the start of the 2020 season when we would expect to start generating the majority of our funds. Subsequent to this, was the impact lockdown had on the mental and physical wellbeing of our players, members and supporters as the cricket club is a place the community comes together, not just for cricket but wider events.
As we came out of lockdown, we were then hit with the Cost of Living crisis which continues to put a strain on resources but the volunteers remained resolute in their efforts to maintain the club and ensure cricket continues and the club remains accessible to all.
Post-Covid the immediate impact was a reduction in our playing numbers but the committee and volunteer coaches have worked tirelessly to reverse that trend and we are on an upward trajectory, thanks to running programs such as ECB AllStars, designed to attract 4-8 year olds to the game.
While playing numbers have now increased and we are running even more teams, which can only be a good thing for participation, physical and mental wellbeing etc..this has a knock on effect to ground and cricket wicket preparation due to increased matches and additional wear and tear on machinery.
For many years, we have benefitted from the generosity of local firm, Fisher's Haulage, who have provided us the use one of their road rollers but that has now had to be recalled due to their increase workloads. While we are very grateful for their ongoing support, this leaves in a large gap in our machinery and one which ensure the playing surfaces are safe and of adequate quality.
A new motorised roller is a long term investment but unfortunately is an expensive piece of equipment, costing circa £15k, which should last over 20 years...
How we’ll spend the money raised
Every penny raised will be used to purchase the model of roller identified as being most suited to our club. If we manage to exceed our target then any additional funds will support the improvement of our playing facilities.
Maintaining a fine turf sports facility is expensive and there are many other projects that funds will be diverted to if we are lucky enough to raise excess funds.
Community impact
Being able to purchase the new roller not just improves the cricket playing surface for our existing players but ensures we also retain them and keep them part of the cricket family at Atherton.
We want these players to become the future custodians of the club, just as the majority of the current committee were. It is this succession that will ensure cricket stays in the community and the club can continue to be that focal point whether it be for spectators of the game, those attend our events or the elderly at our coffee mornings who meet new friends and have the ability to see people face to face.
Our facilities are enjoyed by everyone, not just cricketers, and its this cohesion that brings the community together. The community events develop further support for the cricket, by attracting new spectators that may have visited us for the first time, which then brings adults and children wanting to try the game and increase participation in the game we all love.
How you can play your part
There are four simple ways to help us reach our target, and make this project a reality.
1. Make a pledge. Don’t delay if you’re going to support us because momentum is key to our success!
2. Spread the word. Share our project on your social media pages and tell the world to get behind us! The more people we reach, the more support we will get.
3. Offer rewards. Get involved if you are a local business by donating things we can offer to our supporters. We will give you a shout out!
4. If you want to run your own fundraiser to support us, maybe a sponsored activity or similar, use the 'contact project' button at the top of our page to let us know. Setting up your own page only takes a few minutes and you won’t need any bank details. Just a fun idea!
Sport England: Active Together has provided £4,000 of match funding
This project successfully funded on 26th March 2023