Who are we?
Cavendish Fields Sports Association (CFSA) (Registration Number 1084888) home to Matlock Town Juniors Football Club is an established sport and leisure facility that has hosted league matches and tournaments for over thirty years.
Matlock Town Juniors Football Club are affiliated to the Derbyshire FA (Affiliation Number Y-DER3701) and run mixed, boys & girls teams from ages 4 to 18.
- 300-350 Players Registered
- More than 25 teams.
- Each team is run by over 25 certified coaches
We would like to introduce a new 3G Pitch which will enhance capacity, reliability and quality and secure the future of the facilities.
The current all-weather pitch is no longer suitable and in need of replacement. It is heavily worn and no longer approved by the FA for competitive games due to the smaller size. A modern, larger pitch will be an investment into current and future generations sport and activity and will protect the future of the facilities.
CFSA team have partnered with Derbyshire FA to utilise their expertise on pitch suitability and maximising opportunity. It has been recommended that the playing area is extended to permit competitive matches as well as training.
Situated in central Derbyshire, the facilities are utilised weekly by hundreds of children, young people and adults from across Derbyshire and surrounding areas.
Jay Beaumont Matlock Town FC Chairman - Statement
Cavendish Fields is a facility that is of huge importance, not just to Matlock Town FC but to the whole of the community that we live within.
It is a place where our children come together to enjoy learning new skills whether that be the wonderful game of football, the benefits of working as a team or quite simply making new friends which in itself helps our communities develop lasting relationships that will help the area prosper for many generations to come.
It is so important for us to achieve our ambition of upgrading the all weather facility here to ensure that all of the above can continue year round rather than having many weeks off due to waterlogged grass pitches.
There is also the further benefit in that the more usage that the facility gets, the more revenue is generated which will all be reinvested in developing the wider facilities further - hopefully all of this will help our local players continue their development and where possible, see them banging on the doors of our mens and ladies first teams!
Community impact
Sport and physical activity have many health and community benefits. These include improved physical and mental wellbeing, better connections within communities and community cohesion.
Groups are formed from shared interests.
Children from 4 years old onwards learn both the joys of playing team sports and general life skills as they face physical, emotional and interpersonal challenges in a controlled environment.
People of all ages come together at these facilities, creating friendships that extend beyond the sportsground extending the positive community impact further. Investing in additional and improved facilities will support stronger, healthier and thriving communities.
The key benefits of the facility are detailed below:
- All weather – The pitch will have a surface that is unaffected by rain, ice and sun and can be played on in the morning, noon and night without any harm to the surface.
- Increase capacity for quality pitches - The new pitch will support increasing demand for quality pitches.
- Increased volunteering opportunities – Increasing playing capacity will lead to greater volunteering opportunities associated with football including coaching and stewards.
- Increased sporting opportunities - The new pitch will be suitable for a variety of other sports including hockey and netball.
- Consistency- There will be much fewer match postponements due to waterlogged or frozen pitches.
- Sustainability for the facilities - Having a reliable surface that never suffers any wear-and-tear can also be hired out when it is not in use, increasing income for maintenance and invest to the facilities.
- Improved performance - A new higher specification pitch will improve the quality of the performance and games.
- Disability and inclusive activity- The pitch will be made available to community and voluntary groups to encourage participation in team games.
- Supporting girls and women’s football – MTJFC and MTFC are committed to increasing opportunities for girls and women’s football teams.
- Improving wellbeing – Sport is proven to have a positive impact on physical, mental and social wellbeing.
- Income generation – There will be greater, regular funds raised through increased access and reliability from the pitch.
- Meeting an increased need – There is a growing demand for suitable playing pitches as existing teams grow and new teams emerge.
- Greater health outcomes - CFSA will partner with a number of community and voluntary organisations to make available the new accessible pitch and facilities. Extending accessibility will help improve the physical wellbeing of people living with long-term conditions, older people and provide respite for their Carers.
Being active is proven to improve health, fitness and quality of life. It can also prevent chronic conditions such as heart disease, many types of cancer, depression and anxiety. Facilitating more varied and accessible sports and leisure activities will help reduce, prevent or delay poor health.
The friendly, inclusive ethos at CFSA welcomes all ages and abilities to start, continue or return to sport and activity. Through engaging with sporting activities, we build connections with individuals and larger groups.
Max Marshall Cavendish Fields Sports Association - Chairman
Cavendish Fields is a facility that has played a part in most peoples lives, not just in Matlock but in rural Derbyshire.
Whenever Cavendish is mentioned, people always know exactly where it is and always proceed to make a joke of how cold it is up there…
It is a place where our local children and families have created memories that they talk about for a life time. I myself, have so many amazing memories up at Cavendish; whether that be helping 4 year olds kick their first ball or watch 18 year olds become young men.
As well as great memories, Cavendish fields has brought people together from all sorts of backgrounds for years and the introduction of a long overdue upgrade to our Astroturf, will only help bring more people to the facility and create even more of a community feel to the area.
Since becoming Chair at The CFSA, I have been desperate to deliver this once ambitious goal of a new astro. We are now very close to having a valuable asset that all of our community can love and enjoy.
This all weather surface is also vital as children lose a lot of training sessions and games due to the bad weather. This will help our future generations play more regularly and hopefully in turn also decrease mental health issues as we all know the massive importance physical activity can play in our lives.
Why are we crowdfunding?
The facilities are an asset for Derbyshire Dales and support many health and social outcomes for local people. Complacency may result in decline of the facilities or loss of this valued community hub.
The new facilities will provide an environment for the community as a whole for many future generations.
The current all-weather pitch is 60m x 40m which makes it unacceptable to play competitive games on for the FA. The surface will be extended by 6m width and length to be compliant with FA requirements.
This will allow us to host competitive games at 7vs7 for under 9’s and 10’s and also 2 lots of 5vs5 for under 7’s and 8’s - teams at these age groups currently have no football when the pitches are waterlogged in the winter but will now have the opportunity to play.
The facilities are continuously losing revenue through cancelled matches and unsuitable pitches for training. Last year alone, revenues declined by £7k, which had to be compensated through limited reserves. This approach is unsustainable and of great concern. Income which is generated through hiring pitches is invested in the continual upkeep and maintenance of the entire facilities including the grass pitches and parking area.
The current all-weather pitch is no longer suitable and requires extension and upgrade to enable training and matches to be facilitated. It is incredibly worn and does not comply with FA requirements. Therefore, the pitch is unsuitable for matches and due to the condition of the surface, only limited activities can take place. There will be much fewer match postponements due to waterlogged or frozen pitches due to poor facilities.
How we’ll spend the money raised
Working closely with the Football Foundation the total project cost will be no greater than £200,000. CFSA has so far achieved contributions of over 75% of the total costs through community fundraising & donations, therefore need to secure the remaining funds to achieve our target.
The project is now in the final phase of its application thanks to the support of its key partners the Football Foundation, Derbyshire FA, & all organisations who have committed funds towards the project.
We are aiming to have the project completed during the 2023-24 season.
As a local business, company or individual the sponsorship packages below are available:
- Advertising Banner (Cavendish ATP) £500
- Club Partner packages available by arrangement
*Subject to T&C’s
As an individual all contributions are welcome on our crowdfunding page
Sheree White Matlock Town FC Girls & Ladies Lead
The ATP is important for the girls & Ladies as we currently have over 60 girls aged 5-13 years old & over 24 ladies aged 16 years + that play or train for the club. Having an all weather pitch like the ATP helps us with training & the possibility of hosting friendlies with other teams. We don't have to outsource a venue to host a session, which can be an issue as the local area doesn't have many options. It also means we are offering females the opportunity to improve fitness, mental wellbeing & social skills, we also can offer them coaching opportunities.
How you can play your part
Thankyou for reading our story and we are now hoping for your financial support to enable us to commence our project!
We are hoping with achieving support for our project that we will be able to build a facility that meets the needs of the community.
We need your help to ensure that Cavendish Fields Sports Association & Matlock Town Juniors Football Club has a home to be proud of.
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!