Improving training facilities

Aim

Provide new cricket nets and improve our training facilities, to assist with our aim of increasing girls & women participation at the club.

Who are we?

Belper Amateurs is a friendly, family centred cricket club based at the picturesque Packhorse Ground, Alderwasley, Derbyshire.

Why are we crowdfunding?

Over the past 6 years, Belper Amateurs Cricket Club has built a strong women's section, providing a pathway from Women's softball to Women's Hardball cricket. We now aim to strengthen our junior section, particularly for girls, bridging the gap between the junior players and the women's section. Our project will increase girl’s participation through more girls-only sessions and matches for girls for the ages U11-U15. We aim to improve training facilities and replace our ageing two lane practice nets, to create a safe welcoming environment and provide shared cricket equipment to remove barriers to participation.

The Sport England Movement Fund have pledged £7,316 towards the project, providing we can match fund their £7,316. 

So our initial target is £7,316, to then release the Sport England grant.  

How we’ll spend the money raised

We have a quote from an ECB approved supplier for the replacement of the current two lane nets, totalling £15,384. We also intend to spend £500 on cricket equipment for junior players (to ensure kit is available to all juniors) and a further £500 on facility hire of indoor nets to support training during the 2026 winter months (to maintain engagement with the juniors).  We plan to supplement the £14,632 raised through Crowdfunder with up to £1,752 from our own reserves to fund the overall project.

Community impact

This project will deliver lasting community benefit by increasing opportunities for girls and young women in Belper to be active, confident and engaged through cricket. By improving our training facilities and providing safe, inclusive spaces, the club will remove key barriers that currently limit participation, particularly for junior girls. Girls-only coaching sessions, matches and shared equipment will make the sport more accessible, welcoming and affordable for families.

The project will strengthen local links with schools, youth groups and community organisations, helping to raise awareness of girls’ cricket and we aim to attract new participants from across the community. Improved facilities will not only support the growth of the girls’ pathway but also benefit all club members, from the juniors to the ladies and mens teams, enhancing overall participation and retention.

In the long term, the project will create a sustainable pathway from junior girls cricket into the adult women’s section, supporting lifelong involvement in sport, improving physical and mental wellbeing, and contributing to a healthier, more connected local community.

How you can play your part

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. Fundraise for us. If you want to run your own fundraiser – 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!

It would be great if you could help us reach our target, by donating towards the project. If you are going to support us, please do it now, as we need to secure the match funding to the Sport England grant by mid July.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made