Towards a new pavilion in memory of Malcolm Elias

Aim: To help create a new sports pavilion for Dorchester-on-Thames, the village Malcolm called home for more than 40 years.

Who are we?

Dorchester-on-Thames CC, where Malcolm was a former club captain, is a village cricket team with two Saturday sides, a midweek T20 outfit and a new junior 'All Stars' programme on Friday evenings attended from its start by one of Malcolm's grandsons.

The club play on the village recreation ground, seen below, which is also home to the football and tennis clubs. 

Why are we crowdfunding?

All three sports clubs in the village have joined forces in the last year, along with the parish council, to create a revamped clubhouse with modern facilities.

The current building is 50 years old and falls well short of modern needs.

Last year, in response to a survey of village residents, a new pavilion was identified as one of the parish council's four key aims for 2030.

A local firm of architects has been appointed and initial designs were shown to the village at an open weekend in February.

Malcolm had been following the project closely and proudly watched his son Daniel and grandson Leo take part in the youth coaching sessions earlier this summer.

The cricket club's current senior sides still feature players Malcolm helped introduce to cricket (and football) at the village primary school in the early 1990s. 

How we’ll spend the money raised

The total cost of a revamped pavilion is not insignificant. Initial estimates put the final bill at north of £800,000.

We do not expect to raise this much through Malcolm's legacy, but any money raised will be put towards this project and his impact on sport in Dorchester remembered for many years to come.

Whether there's a Malcolm Elias Bar in the new building, a scoreboard, a plaque or a bench, all money raised will be put towards this project.

We've set the target at £50,000 because it's ambitious but not ridiculous, but any amount will help future generations experience the benefits of sport that Malcolm knew so well. 

All three sports clubs in the village are united behind this scheme and the parish council, as land owner, has been driving plans forward for over a year. 

We hope to gain 'match funding' from Sport England from this fundraiser in Malcolm's name, doubling anything donated up to a total of £15,000.

Community impact

Until this spring, when a £1,000 grant from Malcolm's former employers Oxford United helped us remodel part of the current pavilion's interior layout, the clubhouse was a shockingly unwelcoming place for women (who had to wash their hands next to the men's urinals). With the cricket club's new drive to attract youngsters, like six-year-old Leo Elias, and their parents we need far better facilities. 

This year, a new partnership has been created to allow local state schools without their own pitches to use Dorchester's cricket facilities for free. But the current facilities let us down and with a new pavilion we could provide so many more opportunities for young footballers, cricketers and tennis players locally. Malcolm, we know, would approve.

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.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 18th August 2025 at 11:28pm