New Mills Bowls Cricket Tennis Covid Survival Fund

Aim

We need your help to assure the sustainable survival of sport in our community in the aftermath of COVID-19.

About Us  

New Mills Bowls, Cricket and Tennis Club is a local, volunteer run community sports club offering affordable and inclusive sports to New Mills and the High Peak area.

Our Aim

To ensure that sport is available to all, and encouraging an active lifestyle and social hub within in the local community.

Impact of Covid 19

Despite enjoying fantastic 2018 and 2019 seasons, we were hit hard by covid-19. The majority of our revenue comes from our bar, competitive matches, social events and membership. Obviously, all of this was hugely reduced last year. 

What you are funding

Despite the lack of activity at the club during 2020 we still have significant costs to pay. You’ll be helping us:

• Maintain the cricket square, bowling green and tennis courts
• Spruce up and maintain our club house
• Pay fixed costs like utilities and insurance
• Provide juniors with kit and coaches so that we can bring as many kids as possible into the club
• Repair our forlorn looking scorebox

These costs add up, with our current estimate of the shortfall incurred due to Covid-19 being £20,000.

Any money raised ensures we can survive, increase participation in sport and remain a hub of the community.

Summary Breakdown of Lost Income During 2020

• Cancelled Pub 6-Aside Tournament - £3,000 
• Membership Losses - £6,000 
• Bar Income Losses - £7,500 
• Sponsorship Losses - £2,500 
• Cancelled Race Day - £1,000 

Total - £20,000

Our Members

We have over 200 members, boys, girls, ladies, and gents aged from 5 to 85 competing in social and competitive sport across our 3 sections. It is not uncommon to see 250 people enjoying our facilities on Friday evenings for our popular club night providing social tennis, bowls and junior cricket.

We have a thriving cricket section across 9 competitive teams comprising: 1XI, 2XI, Ladies Softball, U19’s, U15’s, U13’s, U13’s (Girls), U11’s (Boys) and U9’s Softball teams, 3 competitive bowls teams competing on Saturdays, Tuesday and Wednesdays, and 4 tennis teams competing across the Mens North East Cheshire League and Mixed East Cheshire Winter League. 

In recent years the club has been going from strength to strength with our junior cricket membership rocketing from only 20, to 100+ in the space of only 5 years, we have delivered multiple free social tennis events to increase participation in the local community, hosted both ladies and junior soft ball cricket tournaments and engaged local schools to offer/provide the use of our facilities.  

Junior Cricket - Covid Impact and Bounce Back!!

The juniors had a brilliant 2020 season. Cricket offered a real bright spot to all our players during the pandemic, it played a huge part in keeping them physically and mentally well. BUT, we had to limit numbers, and so we only had a much smaller core of players. That limited subscriptions, and also meant we didn't get any new children playing. The club prides itself on bringing in kids of all backgrounds and abilities and letting them play cricket. Some train occasionally, whilst some are barely away from the club, all get an appreciation for the game and develop as players and people.

We're determined to be as inclusive as possible in 2021 and to reach out to all local children and schools and get new and "lapsed" players involved. To do that, and to be Covid-safe, we'll need more kit and more coaches - so we'll need more money.

We’d like to ensure we have:

• ·         Cricket kit available for each child that’s new to cricket and doesn’t want to, or can’t afford to, invest straight away
• ·         Coaching aids and equipment like bounce nets so that we can have many socially distanced children training
• ·         Professional coaches to support our volunteers and make sure we can have as many kids involved as possible

How Can You Help Us? 

See our Rewards section where there are many different ways you can support us. If we raise enough money Sport England will match donations.

So whether you can afford £5, £10 or £50, please donate as much as you can to aid our cause and ensure that New Mills Bowls, Cricket and Tennis Club is around for future generations to enjoy. 

What Do We Offer Our Local Community 

Below are just a few examples of the many events we have put on for people in the local community over the last couple of years: 

During the 2018 World Cup, for each match we hosted England Football Parties with an open invitation, where our guests enjoyed free hot dogs, chili con carne, and many drink offers.  

In Bank Holiday August 2019, we hosted the Bissenden Cup Final (The 1XI cup final for our league), and made it a whole town affair. The weather was perfect and we had many in attendance enjoying their surroundings, a BBQ, prize raffle and drink offers. A great day was had by all. 

We’ve supported local bands, playing gigs in our clubhouse! 

We’ve hosted many BBQ’s for our Juniors and their parents to enjoy on a Friday evenings club night / training. 

Every season culminates with our well attended and highly anticipated Junior Presentation Evenings 

We’ve played in and hosted Ladies Soft Ball Tournaments. And been quite successful too!!  

We’ve participated in and hosted Junior Soft Ball Tournaments with clubs from the local areas joining in! 

In August 2019 we hosted the Chernobyl Children’s Project, where 9, 12 year old children from Belarus enjoyed an evening of cricket training with our Juniors! 

2020 – Thankfully, we managed to get one of our popular events in during 2020, when we marked our 3rd annual golf day in aid of New Mills Cricket Club.  

We’ve hosted a very well attended LTA Bright Ideas event where Davis Cup playing Tennis professionals entertained the local community with an afternoon of trick shots and exhibition play! 

Please give generously.

Thanks, from all at New Mills Bowls, Cricket and Tennis Club.

This project successfully funded on 4th June 2021