New AstroTurf for Junior Growth

What do we want to Achieve by this Crowdfunding Campaign

Bradfield Village Fellowship Cricket Club has never experienced a year quite like 2020. Like many other sports clubs and businesses, the effects of Covid-19 and the consequences of the global pandemic run deep. However, we are determined to fight back, hit COVID-19 for 6, and get us over the boundary with our new crowdfunding campaign! 

With the complete loss of income from our functions business, we now look to fundraise to ensure the financial security of our cricketing community and the continuation of our club’s improvements plan.

To do this we want to support our juniors to return to cricket. Having already missed the majority of indoor winter cricket nets in 2020 and limited outdoor cricket in 2020, this has been no good for their physical and mental well-being. The clamour for winter nets/training and coaching were at an all-time high but due to recent lockdown measures at the start of January (a week before our winter nets were due to start) meant these had to be cancelled, and therefore no indoor winter cricket nets in 2021.

Our Aim

Our aim is to make sure we can offer those involved in cricket at the club some form of outdoor cricket and cricket training in 2021 but we need your support to help us to help them return. 

Current Issue

Currently what we do not have is enough suitable surface for our  juniors to return to cricket on , so they can effectively bat and bowl e.g. our outfield is small, not conducive/suitable to batting and bowling with a hard ball, and with no fixed outdoor cricket nets, we need a space/surface they can effectively practice hardball cricket (bat and bowl on) to help them return to the sport.

We would therefore like to purchase an artificial wicket to allow them to return to hardball cricket, and we will use this money to do this. 

Who we are 

At the present time we have:

• Over 70 juniors (1x U9’s teams, 2x U11’s teams and 2x U13’s teams) 
• 30 senior players (2x senior teams. A mid-week team and a Sunday Development team that play friendlies)
• ‘All-Star’s’ programme attracting 40+ children/families 
• Friday night softball sessions attracting 10-15 women and girls. 
• The introduction of ‘Dynamo’s cricket in 2021

And a little bit more about us....

Senior Cricket

We have four senior cricket teams playing their home games in the unrivalled beauty of Bradfield village, on the edge of the peak district. Our first XI compete in Division 4 of the South Yorkshire Cricket League, with the second XI playing in league 5 – both on Saturdays. A new third team will be partaking in the Barnsley & District League this season, playing their matches on a Sunday afternoon, Our midweek team, Bradfield Malin Bridge, play T20 games on a Wednesday night. 

Junior Cricket

For juniors, we offer both softball and hardball coaching. Our junior coaching is run by both male and female ECB qualified coaches. We have age group teams from Under 9 to Under 13 which compete in the Ben Jessop’s Junior Cricket League and give children of all ages and abilities the opportunity to train, improve and play matches, offering an inclusive experience where everyone will be made welcome.

Women's Softball Cricket

Fun Women's Cricket Events

All-Stars Cricket

A taste of what life is like on a Friday training night for our All Stars

Great fun with the All Stars

What the Artificial Wicket will help us to achieve

To accommodate all the above we need more space to social distance during sessions and to enable us to use the square and be able to practice batting and bowling - the main elements of cricket for the older juniors and seniors who play hard ball cricket e.g. those aged 11+. Currently we are not able to do this as we have no area to practice hardball batting and bowling, and with at least 50 people training on any given evening on a small cricket field with limited space (outside mid-week matches).

What will happen if we don't achieve our target

Without an artificial wicket it will restrict the amount of juniors we can accommodate to attend outdoor training meaning many will miss out on cricket i.e. we cannot currently use the grass wickets for training as they are used for matches, and we can’t risk damaging these. 

Our concern is that if players, especially juniors, miss out again for a second season/year we will lose many from the game, leading to significant numbers not returning to the sport, meaning we are sure to lose juniors, and possibly whole age groups.

What if we Achieved our Target

However, if, with your help, we are able to purchase this it will enable us to continue growing, supporting the great work we have done over the last few years taking the club from less than 50 players to over 150 members, trebling our volunteer base, and going from a small cricket club to a thriving family friendly club attracting players, families and friends of all ages, genders, abilities and disabilities. 

What have we been up to in lockdown!

Over the last 12 months, we have stayed in touch with our players and families through our Facebook page, several Whatsapp groups and Zoom, setting fitness challenges, cricket skills and challenges, quizzes, meetings, club updates and taking steps for our return to cricket. 

We have supported each other through these difficult times and can’t wait to get back to playing cricket, meeting our friends and having fun once again!

Please support us..... And one day we won't just be remembering the good all days...

Playing cricket at the club and socialising in the clubhouse