Hayfield cricket net, equipment and training fund

Aim

The first bit of fun and real life in our village was the opening of the nets at the club, they are old & need replacing, please support us.

Our club: Hayfield Cricket Club is a small cricket club in the High Peak. We have all the usual adult teams (a 1st and 2nd team) who play weekly in summer which are the bread and butter of the club. These teams create enjoyment for all including a large number of regular supporters young and old.  

The club has many other teams that make up the playing aspect of the club. It has an active Junior section of approximately 100 Young people from 5 upwards.  This includes over 30 girls which for a small village is amazing.  We run 9 active Junior teams.  This year we have also had a small group of women who have made up a women's softball cricket team which has been huge fun for all involved, getting the 'mums' of the village who normally spectate to play.

Our impact on the community: The club is the centre of the community and the village hub, it is never quiet and provides enjoyment for all.  The club is run purely by volunteers.  If you went down to the club on any day the gate is open, people may be sat on benches chatting, taking part in a community event in the club, or playing cricket.   The club supports and provides space for many community activities, sitting centrally in the village with good access for all.  We are very lucky as a village in the peaks to be surrounded by beautiful countryside it is easy to think of the area as idyllic.  

Whilst we are very lucky to live here, Hayfield isn't without pockets of deprivation and the transport infrastructure can make living here isolating for certain groups, the elderly and those with disabilities, the club allows them a central place to socialise and enjoy each others company.  The club supports and organises lots of events with other community groups eg the PTA for the primary school and the local football club along with other local charities.  We are always well supported by local businesses with local pubs who will lend us their equipment for events or the local shops who support us by giving us good deals on produce for our barbecues.  In the winter the club remains active having a Christmas party for local little ones and Christmas dinner for the villages older residents run by the Wednesday club.

With a population of little over 2700 the club touches the lives of many of these villagers, a single age group junior training night can have 30 young people participating, a match on a Saturday may have 100 people watching it.  On many occasions the footfall by non village residents is also high with tourists, campers from the local site and village relatives calling in.  For many people this is their first experience of local cricket and it is always positive.

The effects of COVID-19: This year due to Covid 19 we had to close our gates for a long period, the ground was isolated and groups of vulnerable people were supported in other ways by the community.  As the rules around sport lightened we reopened and this has provided welcome relief to the village and its residents, nets and matches are well received and supported.  We have had volunteers manning net sessions every day, training for juniors in an evening, and finally back to match playing. Financially the club has suffered due to lack of revenue and fundraising, we have chosen not to take large amounts of money for resuming cricket due to the financial hardship we know many families have faced.  All playing has been free to all users since reopening.  It has been lovely to see community use of the club return and residents of the wider community returning to use the beautiful natural resource we possess.

Why we are crowdfunding? We need to fund new equipment, a new set of nets and training facilities for the club and its playing members.  This crowdfunding appeal is to raise funds for this.  We had hoped to hold many events this year to support the 'new net fund' but alas we have been unable to do this.  All normal money raised this year will only allow us to keep the club running through the winter.  

What will our funding buy? We need some new cricket nets for all to use to enjoy the game, and increase the skills and enjoyment within the club. The nets we want have a varying cost from £4000 to £8000, the more we make towards the cost of these the better.  If we could raise at least half of this from this crowdfunding campaign that would be fabulous.

Testimonials 

'I loved watching cricket at this club prior to going into a care home, the club made me so welcome on my visits when I moved to the village a couple of years ago to live with my daughter.  My first trip out when i'm allowed out after Covid, will be to watch the juniors or the first team play cricket with a nice cold beer.  I loved attending the OAP Wednesday club in the clubhouse, looking out at the ‘young uns’ playing cricket’

'Thanks for being so enthusiastic about cricket, you have made my son feel so welcome at your club' 

'Hayfield Cricket Club is building a strong women's team and this should be supported'

'Good luck and thanks for everything you do for the village and the engagement with the young people'

'Your club were very welcoming and you have a lovely ground. I thought your juniors played really well and deserved the slender victory from the game'

This project successfully funded on 14th September 2020