Target reached!
Any extra money will be used to purchase materials or electrical equipment associate...
Installing an electricity supply at Raby Castle CC
Darlington, County Durham, United Kingdom
Aim
The installation of an electricity supply to our pavilion will help us create a more modern welcoming environment for players and spectators
Who are we?
Raby Castle has a special place in the history of cricket in County Durham, in August 1751 it was the venue for the first recorded cricket match in the county.
Situated within the grounds of the Raby estate, approximately a mile outside the village of Staindrop. Raby Castle Cricket Club was established in 1886 and we have been in existence ever since. (137 years)
We currently have two senior teams playing every Saturday in the SG Petch Darlington and District Cricket League.
We have a thriving junior section that incorporates the ECB All Stars and Dynamos programmes and in 2021 we were recognised as Durham Crickets All Stars Centre of the Year.
We regularly have over 100 youngsters participating in our weekly cricket programmes with girls making up roughly 25% of our membership.
Our junior teams play their cricket in the Durham Cricket Board Junior League, and we field teams at under 9, under 11, under 13 and under 15 as well as an under 11 girls softball team.
Why are we crowdfunding?
The committee at Raby Castle Cricket Club has recognised the need to try to futureproof the club so that it can continue to thrive for many more years.
Recently we have spent a lot of time and effort in the provision of junior cricket at the club, but now we desperately need to improve the clubs’ facilities for players, officials, and spectators.
We are planning to install an electricity supply that will simplify and modernise so many things at the club.
The club is making a significant contribution and we have funding agreements (in principle) that will cover the majority of the project costs but we will still need to raise £12,500 to complete the project.
This is part of the project to extend the current pavilion in order to provide
- Bigger changing rooms with separate shower and toilet facilities
- Separate changing area for female players
- Dedicated changing room for officials
- An accessible toilet for people with disabilities
- Redesign of the existing social area for the preparation of food and hot drinks
How we’ll spend the money raised
We will use the money to provide an electricity supply to and throughout the pavilion.
Electrical Power is so important nowadays. It powers many of the things that make life more comfortable and enjoyable, such as lighting, showers, fridges, the supply of hot water for hand washing and many other everyday items.
Who doesn't enjoy a cold drink on a hot summers day or a hot drink with their cricket club tea or something to keep you warm on a cold evening ?
Modern day cricket equipment also needs electrical power, such as the lap tops that are used to keep score, electronic scoreboards that keep spectators up to date, bowling machines to improve batting practice sessions and of course to power tools that assist with maintenance work on the building and grounds-keeping equipment.
Community impact
To quote The Lord Barnard 'The cricket club is an important local amenity and plays a vital social function for young people in the local community. Cricket matches also add to the quality of the visitor experience at Raby Castle'
We are active in the local community coaching cricket in several of our local schools.
Every year in association with Staindrop Academy we hold a Kwik Cricket festival for our local primary schools
We also host a three week long County Level Junior Cricket Tournament that provides an annual boost to the local economy. The tournament attracts 100's of visitors from around the country and beyond to the Teesdale Area.
An electricity supply will undoubtedly improve the overall experience of everyone visiting or playing at the club, and make the use of our facilities more attractive to other organisations.
Our aim is to improve the facilities at Raby Castle Cricket Club for the benefit of all players and spectators.
We are confident that improving our facilities will help us grow and retain the number of people wanting to get involved in the sport of cricket.
How our project is linked to Birmingham 2022
Although we are located 150 miles from Birmingham, the 2022 Commonwealth Games was an historic event for cricket, with the Men's and Women's game making it debut on the Commonwealth Stage.
With our junior structure continuing to grow, and an influx of girls joining our ranks, we have ever growing plans for Girl's Cricket across our club, along with the continued develop of our Junior structure.
As part of our project we are aiming to receive 'Match Funding' from Sport England's - Places & Spaces Campaign. We hope this will allow us to create and maintain a legacy across the community.
How you can play your part
We operate without the attraction of a licenced club house so raising funds can be a challenge.
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!
Thank You For Your Support
Sport England - Places and Spaces has provided £5,000 of match funding
This project successfully funded on 19th September 2023