Who are we?

Kemsing Cricket Club is grass-roots, Community Association Sports Club (CASC), in the village of Kemsing, Kent. Run by volunteers, we provide the local community and surrounding area with outstanding cricket coaching and development throughout the year.

A growing club that is at the heart of the community we provide opportunities for all ages and abilities, we are truly inclusive from under 5 to 85 and play cricket in the true spirit of the game. We have 7 junior teams, x3 senior teams, a women’s softball team and run a popular All-Stars section. 

Why are we crowdfunding?

To maintain and improve our current standards, Kemsing Cricket Club urgently needs an all-weather outdoor practice facility. Our existing grass square is deteriorating due to the growing number of players and increased match demands. Without a dedicated training facility, we are unable to offer hardball coaching or small group development sessions, limiting our ability to develop players, especially juniors. This lack of year-round training has led to the loss of talent in the past, and the community sees this project as vital to the club’s future.

The installation of nets will provide increased training and social opportunities for both players and non-members. Players will have access to the facility during school holidays, weekends, and after school, helping to increase activity levels, playing time, and confidence. This facility will also allow us to offer hardball training sessions without relying on expensive, off-site venues that are difficult for some players to access due to transport issues.

Currently, we run 6-week "winter nets" in a local prep school’s sports hall during spring, and outdoor hardball training at another prep school in summer. However, the hire costs have dramatically increased, and we believe it’s more sustainable to invest in our own community.

Providing this facility will create opportunities for players of all ages and abilities while promoting a strong sense of community and sportsmanship. The nets will help us achieve:

• Enhanced club infrastructure

• Increased membership and participation

• Improved player performance and coaching

• Strengthened community engagement

• Financial sustainability and the club’s long-term future

This is the biggest project the club has undertaken, and we have formed a subcommittee of community members with relevant experience to manage it. Construction will take around 12 weeks, with the facility ready for use in the 2025 season.

Community impact

Over 220 current members will directly benefit from the new cricket nets, with capacity to accommodate more members and be accessible to the wider local community. The nets will enable us to:

• Provide a safe and secure training environment for all ages
• Continue developing our thriving girls’ and women’s sections
• Improve coaching quality from beginners to advanced players
• Retain existing members while attracting new ones
• Strengthen our role within the local community

As part of the project, we conducted a community consultation where 96% of respondents agreed that Kemsing Cricket Club needs nets and that these would benefit the entire community.

Positive feedback emphasized inclusivity, friendliness, and our family-friendly atmosphere, where many families are involved in playing, coaching, and volunteering. Suggestions for improvement included enhanced facilities, better coaching, and more community events. In response, we are committed to:

• Hosting community cricket days and charity matches
• Collaborating with local schools and Scouts/Brownies to offer cricket taster sessions
• Offering volunteer opportunities within the club
• Partnering with local businesses for sponsorship and support

This project will ensure the club continues to be a welcoming hub for cricket and community engagement.

Additional benefits;

Our community will greatly benefit from improved facilities and increased options. Young players can reach their potential at a local, affordable club without the need for long travel.

By delivering coaching, mentoring, and volunteering programs, we aim to increase sports participation for people of all ages, including those who may not want to play but still want to be involved. This initiative can help address health issues by promoting physical activity, especially for teens, tackling the national problem of youth drop-out in the 14+ age group.

With two million fewer women playing sports than men, yet 75% expressing a desire to be more active, we see a real opportunity. We aim to use the momentum of the This Girl Can campaign to promote cricket as a fun, social game where women and girls can participate with friends in a supportive environment, free from judgment

How we’ll spend the money raised

The installation of the new nets will cost us over £60,000.  We are proposing to finance this through a combination of grants, loans, donations and fundraising. For the new nets to go ahead, we need to raise £15,000 as our contribution towards the total.

All money raised via this site will go towards the new nets project. We have various fundraising initiatives planned for the coming months, but if we are able to raise much of our contribution through pledges from members and their family and friends this will help us immensely.

We are also reaching out to the local community for support and hope that local residents and businesses will be willing to donate to our appeal.  Kemsing Cricket Club has been part of the community for over 100 years and with this investment in the club we can strengthen our position in the local community and ensure the clubs future.

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!