Solar energy & practice net installation

Aim: We have 2 aims: to provide off grid solar electricity to our club, and to fund a state of the art, artificial turf, practice net.

Our Club

Ketteringham Hall Cricket Club is a growing community club.   Historically mainly a men's club, this all changed in 2024, when we started up our women's softball cricket section.   This has been an amazing success.  Weekly coaching sessions have led to this group quickly picking up new skills, enabling them to win an impressive number of games in their first season.  But, more than this, we can boast one of the largest women's softball sections in the County, regularly fielding two sides at each of the events we enter.

The men's section is also growing and improving, with the first team going unbeaten through 2024, and winning promotion to the top tier of the Norfolk League.

Pictured above:   just some of the new women's team members

Pictured above:   Mixed Softball Cricket event - Presidents Day 2024

Pictured above:  action from the men's first team, Norfolk League level 2 champions 2024

Our Plans

In 2025 we plan to expand the club further, with the set up of a new junior section. We initially aim to run softball cricket for ages 5 to 11, running the ECB approved Allstars & Dynamos sessions.  Over the coming seasons this will expand to the provision of hardball cricket, for ages 13 upwards.

We also expect to see some of our women make the transition from softball to hardball cricket, and hope to be able to field a women's hardball team in the coming seasons.

Our facilities

We play at the picturesque setting of Ketteringham Hall.  All of the upkeep of the ground is done by our fantastic team of volunteers.  However, our practice facility is currently poor.  This consists of a short concrete based area of artificial turf, surrounded by an equally short roll on net.  The concrete base is uneven and far from ideal, as shown below.  The net is too short to prevent the majority of balls being hit into the surrounding area.  

And yet our need for a decent training facility is greater than ever, with an ever expanding group of men, women & children who need to use it.

Pictured above:   the poor quality current practice facility

In addition, we have no mains electricity, which severely limits the facilities we can offer within our pavilion - no mains electric lighting, showers, hot water or cooking facilities.  We have an oven powered by gas cylinders, and precious little else.

Photo:   the pavilion

The Vision

Our plan is to invest in a new practice net, as shown below.  This is an ECB endorsed system, consisting of a 30 metre astroturf surface, with a net enclosure nearly 22 metres long.   The astroturf will have an aggregate and bitumen foundation.   This both provides a safe, consistent bounce, and is kind to the joints.   

Pictured above:   Our proposed new practice facility

We also plan to invest in an off-grid, solar photovoltaic panel system, together with a battery storage system.   This will provide electricity to the pavilion, providing lighting, hot water, and power to numerous other applications.  We own an electric bowling machine, which currently cannot be used on site - having electric power will enable this to be used in the new net system. The works will also pave the way for future enhancements such as potential expansions to the pavilion and shower facilities.

With a growing community club the solar system will provide an appropriate welcoming environment, enabling us to expand further.

Photo:  Photovoltaic solar panel example system

The Finance

This project is not cheap, but we have already done a lot of fundraising towards it.  The total cost is over £25,000, of which over £20,000 is secured.   Sport England approve of our plans, and have granted us over £9,000, with a further £5,000 from the Norfolk Cricket Board.   Nearly £6,000 has been pledged by South Norfolk Council and other donations.   So we have £5,000 to raise, which we hope to do via this Crowdfunder.

How you can help

1.  Make a Pledge

In order to raise the £5,000, we have obtained a range of fantastic rewards from local businesses, which are advertised on this site.   Each of these rewards is available to you at a discount.  Buying a reward will enable you to help us, and provide you with gifts at reduced rates, some of which will make great Christmas presents !    

If you are a playing member of the club, there are some 2025 membership and playing opportunities to buy.  

If you are a local business, there are some fantastic sponsorship opportunities - remembering that, as our club expands, so the exposure to your business branding will ever increase.

Or, if you just wanted to make a small donation to the club, we won't say no !

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 gifts we can offer to our supporters.  Your kind donation will generate publicity for your business, as well as helping us !

Thank you for taking the time to read through our vision !

This project successfully funded on 15th March 2025