An electric pitch roller for C&DCC

Aim

A clean, green pitch roller to replace the oil-dripping, smoke belching old machine

Who are we?

Collingham & District Cricket Club (C&DCC) has been a well-loved part of the fabric of the village since 1849. The club has always represented more to local people than simply a venue for watching or playing cricket; it is a social hub, regularly hosting non-cricket events for the good of the wider community.

We are a non-profit village club with women's teams and a thriving juniors' section as well as a long-established competitive men's section. The club has grown significantly in recent years, representing a welcoming environment for anyone to visit, whether a cricket lover or not.

Why are we crowdfunding?

C&DCC currently has several teams who are all reliant on well-prepared surfaces across two pitches. Thanks to skilled and dedicated ground staff, our pitches have regularly been voted No.1 in the Nottinghamshire Cricket League.

Our pitches are used for our own four Saturday teams (Notts Premier League, and South Notts League Divisions B, K & N), Women’s teams, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire County Junior County Age Group teams (boys and girls), as well as for ECB Disability Cricket, in addition to our own thriving boy’s and girl’s junior teams. We are also pleased to host a Newark Rugby Club Cricket Team, and helped Grimsby Cricket Club play last season when their ground was flooded by a burst water main. Our pitches can therefore be in use for seven days a week during summer, with grounds machinery being used intensively.

A critical piece of machinery – our old diesel-engined pitch roller – is increasingly unreliable. At times the engine leaks oil over our cherished playing surfaces and, in short, we need to renew it.

With a long-term goal to generate our own sustainable electricity via solar or wind power, the current intention is to obtain an electric roller as this would help to show our commitment to a green future for C&DCC and Collingham Village.

How we’ll spend the money raised

A new, electric cricket roller is a worthwhile purchase. It will emit zero carbon dioxide and will be a quiet, efficient machine. 

The proposed new roller will cost  £28,500 exc. VAT, plus £575 delivery.

We have submitted an application to the Tarmac Community Fund for a large proportion of the total cost and also the Lost Village Festival Community Fund for the pre-requisite external contribution as part of this grant.

The new roller would benefit all members of the club by helping our skilled grounds staff to prepare safe, competitive  pitches for enjoyable matches. We therefore request contributions towards the total cost - with an initial target of £3,000. (just over 10% of the total cost).

It is important to note that we urgently need a new roller even if the grants outlined above are not successful.  In this case, we propose to continue fundraising to meet the cost of a less expensive secondhand diesel machine of around £10,000

Community impact

C&DCC is home to several hardball teams who rely on quality pitches; four Saturday teams; Women’s Sunday hardball; juniors (U13-U16), and; midweek teams. We also host external teams such as Nottinghamshire County Age Group juniors (boys and girls). The playing surfaces are prepared by an experienced groundsman and his assistants; their skill ensures safe surfaces (i.e. no uneven bounce) and competitive, enjoyable matches. 

There are approximately seventeen cut strips across two pitches used throughout a typical playing season. Each is rolled and cut in turn.  However, our current roller has become unreliable and is losing oil onto the playing surface. Without attention, it will become increasingly difficult to use the current machine, 

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!

This project successfully funded on 21st March 2026