Target reached!
With added investment we will be able to fully secure our ground with a brand new se...
'Break-In' clean up and associated costs.
Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, United Kingdom
Aim
We need your support to cover the costs of the repair to our ground and private security firm fees after our recent 'break-in'.
Who are we?
Uphill Castle Cricket Club are a local village club based in Somerset. This year, we are celebrating our 130th anniversary. We have a thriving junior set up, full senior section and also run a ladies softball side.
Why are we crowdfunding?
Everyone at Uphill Castle Cricket Club was saddened and angry to see the damages caused to our ground as a result of the break in this week.
Unfortunately, we have had damage to our sight-screens, covers and pitch. Our ‘visitors’ also left a substantial amount of waste across the grounds of the club that needed to be cleaned.
Upon break-in, we contacted a local private security firm to help us remove the trespassers as soon as possible - with the least amount of disruption. Unfortunately, this came at a cost to the club, but was a step required to insure the safe and timely return to normal conditions. The police were unable to support us with the club being on privately owned land and the 'visitors' technically only trespassing. We could have taken this matter through the courts, but an eviction would've taken at least three weeks. This was why the decision was made to bring in a private security firm, attempting to quickly solve the matter. Fortunately. they were able to move the group on, but not without the costly fees associated. We can only imagine the damage and disruption that may have occurred had we waited.
We have since been advised to erect permanent raising bollards (or similar) at our front gates to stop vehicles. A locked gate with a heavy chain doesn’t seem enough to stop unwanted visitors. This of course will also come at a cost to the club but is a crucial step in enhancing our long term security.
The committee have worked tirelessly over the last week to ensure the club is back to normal conditions as quickly as possible. Of course we were all frustrated with what happened, but most of all we were disappointed that we could not allow our members and guests to use our club as they normally do.
We have worked extremely hard over the last couple of years to extend our reach in the local community. From offering the ground to a local cancer support group who meet weekly, to providing a hub to the North Somerset Hounders Disability side. It was a real shame that we had to turn these groups away due to the unsafe state of the ground. On top of this, we also had to postpone junior, senior and ladies fixtures/games, All Stars and Dynamos.
As a local village club, these type of events can be extremely damaging financially. We are lucky to have an amazing local community and we need your help. Any financial support you can offer to help us cover security fees, clean up cost, equipment repair and the ‘future proofing’ of the ground would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your ongoing support and we look forward to welcoming you back to ‘The Castle’ as soon as possible.
Uphill Castle Cricket Club Committee
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. Fundraise for us. If you want to run your own fundraiser – 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!
This project successfully funded on 14th July 2023