New Wicket to Grow Cricket in Dungannon area

Aim

Creating opportunities for young players by replacing our old artificial wicket to remove barriers and improve safety for our youth program

Who are we?

Dungannon CC is a long-established community-based cricket club continually in existence since 1948, but able to trace our history back as far as1862.  We are a small club in Dungannon, Co Tyrone, N. Ireland with our home ground based in a beautiful setting in Dungannon Park.  This was the home of Dungannon Cricket Club from 1955 until 1986.  In 1999 we relocated back to the Park, the home of Dungannon Cricket Club, after having spent 13 years playing at Sheills Field at Dungannon Rugby Club.

We are currently experiencing a resurgence where we now can field a 1st XI and 2nd XI for the first time in 15 years with both playing in the Northern Cricket Union’s Junior Leagues 10 and 11C respectively.  We had been absent from competitive league cricket since 2015 when a lack of players nearly led to the club folding.  Since Covid days we have welcomed many new members of all ages, abilities, ethnicities and faiths who come together to share their love of cricket.   We have a strong focus on fostering inclusion, cultural diversity, and cross-community engagement through sport. We are a Cross Community club with Protestant, Catholic, Muslim, Seikh and members from all communities in the locality. Everyone who has an interest in Cricket is welcome.

In order to continue this growth, we are seeking support to improve our playing facilities and deliver Youth Outreach Programs to encourage kids to come and get involved in cricket as there are currently no schools in Dungannon playing cricket or developing players that were the feedstream for us over the years.

Our current artificial wicket is completely worn out and is potentially dangerous especially for youth cricket and beginners which thus limits participation and our ability to deliver quality coaching and youth outreach.

Why are we crowdfunding?

Participation Project: Breaking Barriers, Growing the Game

At Dungannon Cricket Club our mission is to create inclusive, lasting opportunities for young people to get involved in cricket, regardless of background, ability, or experience. Our participation project is specifically focused on increasing youth engagement, improving inclusion, and creating a sustainable pathway for long-term involvement in the sport

We are raising funds to replace our 25-year-old worn out artificial wicket with the principal aim of growing Youth cricket at Dungannon by creating opportunities for young players to develop their skills, confidence and long-term involvement in the game on a safe and reliable playing surface.

We need to raise approximately £10,000 along with some existing club funds in order to replace the artificial wicket (quoted around £9500) and be able to purchase the necessary playing kit for our planned Youth Outreach Programs (estimated at £1000 - 1500).

Dungannon Cricket Club are keen to proactively recruit kids, to create a youth section that we haven't previously had at the Club in order to develop players so that we may continue playing cricket in Dungannon for another 80+ years.

This is driven by the changing environment in our local schools where sports, especially cricket, are under resourced or no longer offered. This in turn means a lack of new talent on the horizon to maintain the club in the future.

We recognize that we need to improve our facilities in order to deliver upon our objectives to remove the barriers and level the playing field to provide a safe surface on which we can coach and train the upcoming talent of the future.

This project will allow us to create a space where new and returning players can build confidence, develop skills and feel part of the community of the club.

Our goals are to:

• Increase the number of young people participating in cricket, with a strong focus on ages 11–16.
• Provide 8 weeks pre-season indoor coaching sessions during February and March 2027.
• Provide weekly coaching sessions throughout the 2027 season.
• Establish school-club partnerships in conjunction with NCU.
• Launch a "Smash It" program. Through fun games and activities, children will discover the skills of batting, bowling, fielding, and wicket-keeping, all while developing fundamental movement skills like balance, coordination, and teamwork. 

These efforts will be promoted through targeted outreach and community engagement, ensuring that underrepresented groups have equal access to structured, ongoing participation opportunities.

Why the Artificial Wicket Is Essential

The installation of a new artificial wicket is critical to delivering our participation outcomes. Our current surface is unsafe, worn, and no longer suitable for youth or beginner sessions. It limits our ability to:

• Offer safe and inclusive training experiences,
• Run beginner-focused programs (particularly for new youth players who need a safe environment),
• Host school visits or community events,
• Support skill development for youth players at all levels.

The new artificial wicket will provide a safe and consistent surface where new players can develop confidence and build their skills in a supportive setting. Without it, our growing participation programs cannot be delivered effectively or safely.

Lasting Impact

With improved facilities and structured participation initiatives in place, our goal is to increase the number of kids involved in cricket at Dungannon Cricket Club within the next two years. This capital investment directly supports our participation project by removing key barriers to involvement, enhancing the quality of experience, and ensuring cricket is accessible, fun, and safe for all young people in our community.

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How we’ll spend the money raised

We are raising £10,000 to purchase and install a new artificial cricket wicket—an essential part of delivering our participation-focused project. The current surface is worn, uneven, and no longer safe or suitable for the the young players that we aim to attract to join the club, particularly beginners.

We are determined to raise the full amount through community fundraising, member contributions, and grant support, including funding from Sport NI’s Project Creating Opportunities, which helps us bridge the gap and turn this vision into reality.

This isn’t just an investment in our facilities—it’s an investment in the future of inclusive cricket in Dungannon. By improving our playing surface, we can offer a safe, consistent, and welcoming environment where more young people feel confident to take part, develop their skills, and stay involved in the sport long-term. Together, we are building a stronger, more diverse cricket community for generations to come.

Your support will enable us to deliver:

• Replacement of our worn our artificial wicket before 2027 cricket season.
• An 8-week training program, led by qualified coaches during February and March 2027.
• Off-season support by means of training sessions to maintain and develop skills.
• Purchase of essential youth size training equipment and resources.
• The creation of an inclusive, engaging environment for all youth players.
• Development of teamwork, confidence and long-term player retention.

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Community impact

We have welcomed over 30 new members in the last 2 years mainly from the Indian community, however we have also recently welcomed players from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Ardboe!.  We wish to be able to continue this growth by attracting new members from amongst the many nationalities’ resident in the Dungannon area that may be refugees or immigrants and whose cultures have cricket at its heart.  Everyone is welcomed that has a love of Cricket.

A new, high-quality wicket will provide a safe, reliable, and consistent playing surface, enabling players of all ages and abilities to develop their skills and enjoy the game. This upgrade will also allow the club to strengthen partnerships with local schools and community groups, further increasing access to cricket in our area.

Supporting Under-Represented Groups: This project is dedicated to increasing opportunities for young people. Replacing the artificial mat is essential to fostering their development and expanding participation in the sport.

Building Resilience in Sport: By engaging participants in cricket-based activities as members of Dungannon Cricket Club, we aim to instill lifelong sporting habits and encourage ongoing involvement.

Growing Membership and Participation: A new artificial mat will help expand club membership, supporting Sport NI’s objective of increasing participation in sport. Without this upgrade, Dungannon's planned youth section will have nowhere to train and play, limiting their experience and creating a divide between junior and senior players. Ensuring they can develop at our home ground strengthens both their skills and their connection to the club.

With your support through Crowdfunder and Sport NI, we can install a new artificial wicket, ensuring equal opportunities and a thriving future for cricket at Dungannon Cricket Club.

Help us level the playing field and create opportunities for our young players — donate today and be part of the future of Dungannon Cricket Club.

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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!

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 31st October 2026 at 12:00pm