Duffield CC new 4 bay nets and social seating area

The Background

Duffield Cricket Club has a long and successful history - being established in 1878. Over the last 20 years the club has exploded in size with the development of senior, junior and ladies cricket. 

The club now has 5 adult teams, 7 junior teams, as well as a girls team, a ladies team and a Dynamos (9-11 year olds) and Allstars (5-8 year olds) programme.

 In 2017 the club was name East Midlands Allstars Club of the Year by the ECB recognising its commitment and huge success in promoting the ECB's scheme to attract young boys and girls to the game. 

In 2010 the club developed a second pitch at its Eyes Meadow home to accommodate the increasing number of teams and matches. In 2017 the club was able to raise funds from the ECB and local community and sponsors to build a super new pavilion to accommodate the growing requirements of senior and junior cricket. 

The Community Asset

This pavilion has now become a hub of the community, not only used by members but also by Ecclesbourne School, Amber Valley Sports Partnership, yoga and fitness classes, Duffield Dynamos Football Club and many others. The facility is available 12 months a year for all the community to book for parties and even weddings ! The outfield resembles a village fete on a Friday evening with hundreds of locals watching the youngsters play and enjoying the bar and pavilion facilities. 

The Project 

The growth of the club brings about the requirement for more facilities and this new project scheduled for September 2021 will see the club double the number of practice nets from 2 to 4 and create a social seating area with benches and picnic tables adjacent to the pavilion overlooking both pitches.

The Funding

 The club was successful last year in obtaining a Youth Activity Grant from Derbyshire County Council and generous sponsorship of the project from Hannells Estate Agents. It was intended that the balance of the funds would come from club reserves but COVID restrictions led to a drastic decline in the clubs income with no bar sales and greatly reduced sponsorship income and membership subscriptions. 

In order to make sure this much needed project happens this year and to ensure the Youth Activity Grant does not have to be returned - the club now seeks crowd funding of circa £9,000 to fill the shortfall gap to enable the project to go ahead.

The Memorial 

Following the tragic passing of Duffield CC ladies player and Allstars parent Helen Almey 1st January 2020, the club announced at its AGM later that month that in time it would like to remember Helen with a suitable and permanent memorial. 

The club remembers Helen as a great player and competitor, a member of the Derbyshire Ladies league winning softball team in 2019 - but also as a popular and very social member of the clubs community.   

It has now been agreed with Helen's family and friends that the new social seating area will be known as 'Helen's place'. We all agree this is a fitting memorial.

Following Helen's passing her friends raised funds to acquire a memorial bench in her name which will also be located at 'Helen's place'. Helen's parents also very generously donated the excess funds raised for the bench towards the clubs new project.