Always on
This project successfully funded on 9th March 2026, you can still support them with a donation.
Scorers building and ground improvments
Wakefield, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Aim
Provide a scorers building that is accessible for people with disabilities. Improved facilities to help cater for increased use of ground
Who are we?
We aim to provide quality cricket facilities that meet the needs of our existing members and our growing programme of use for people from culturally diverse backgrounds. We aim to provide an accessible scorers cabin (our scorebox is 150m from toilets and social facilities and has steps
It will enable our scorer who has been diagnosed with MND to score for as long as possible (important to his mental health) It incorporates equipment storage for the activities we provide for diverse groups
We are a well established, thriving and successful cricket club with senior and junior teams. But our role in the community is much more than just that of a cricket club. We work with a wide variety of community groups and organisations to provide a year round programme of sports and activities and serve a culturally diverse community.
The club was originally founded in 1923 as the sports club of the then Patons and Baldwins Mill. With the demise of the mill in 1973 it was reformed as Wakefield Thornes Cricket Club (Thornes being the area of Wakefield in which the club is based). So as you can see in 2023 we celebrated both our 50th and 100th birthdays!!
We are particularly proud that we have managed to blend success on the cricket field (and the development of many fine young players) with the development of strong links with other community groups - both sporting and non sporting.
We now field 4 senior teams (three weekend and one midweek) plus five junior teams at age groups from Under 9's to Under 17's including both girls and boys . In 2026 we will be starting running 2 girls only teams at under 9's and under 11's age groups. Our longer term plan is to use this as basis for creating womens teams in due course
[upload an image here]
Why are we crowdfunding?
This is where you should explain the reason you need to raise money, are you launching a new women's team? Perhaps you need to improve facilities or buy new kit? Tell us here
We aim to provide quality cricket facilities that meet the needs of our existing members and our growing programme of use for people from culturally diverse backgrounds. We aim to provide an accessible scorers cabin (our scorebox is 150m from toilets and social facilities and has steps
It will enable our scorer who has been diagnosed with MND to score for as long as possible (important to his mental health) It incorporates equipment storage for the activities we provide for diverse groups
.
If you're applying for extra funding, this is a good place to demonstrate why your project is eligible so refer back to the criteria to help complete this section
[upload an image here]
How we’ll spend the money raised
We intend to spend any money raise in two main areas:
- The provision of a covered scoring facility (with the necessary power supplied) that is close to the car park and built facilities so that our scorer can continue to score. Access to our existing scorebox is difficult for someone who has a disability - it is some 150 yards from the car park, it has no close access to toilets and it is has stepped access
- We have a significantly increased use of our ground due to widening our participation base in several areas:
- Girls and womens cricket
- Cricket for the south Asian community
Budget
- Provision of Scorers Building including additional storage: £3175
- Hard standing base for building:£1300
- Supply of electricity to building: £1500
- Covers £2790
- Sightscreens £2000
- VAT 2137
- Total Cost £12822
[upload an image here]
Community impact
It’s important to explain the wider impact of your organisation for the whole community, who does it benefit and why? Perhaps your facilities are used for other purposes outside of sport too?
[upload an image here]
Community impact
These are just some of the things we do:
Junior Cricket
We provide cricket for children and young people in many ways.
- We run teams at age groups from Under 9's to Under 17's. Teams play in the Heavy Woollen and Leeds Junior Cricket League. Many of our young players play District and County Cricket and a number have gone on to play Junior international and First Class Cricket. In 2026 we'll be running girls only teams for the first time
- We stage school festivals each year where teams from 6 local junior schools participate
- We run school holiday coaching course - not just at our own club but also for other clubs around the area who are trying to develop junior cricket.
- We also run coaching programmes in schools and host junior school festivals for up to 6 local primary schools at the ground
- Senior Cricket
Our senior teams play in the following competitions:
- ECB Yorkshire South Premier
- SYSCL First Division
- Pontefract Cricket League Division 5
- Pontefract and District Midweek league
- All our teams have been successful in recent years with numerous League and Cup triumphs. In 2016 our first team became the inaugural Yorkshire Premier Cricket champions in Abu Dhabi
- We stage fixtures for Yorkshire Over 60's teams and junior age group teams
- We stage fixtures for Leeds University
- In 2023 we began a day time tournament for local mosques
Our catchment are includes a multi ethnic community and over 60% of our junior cricketers are from South Asian backgrounds - both male and female
Of the six junior schools that are in our catchment area and that take part in our schools festival, three (Lawefield Lane, Snapethorpe, Flanshaw, ) are in area of high deprivation (Wards in the top 3 Indices of Multiple Deprivation).
We work with ACES Education to delver cricket at
"..six schools in the Cathedral school pyramid. In conjunction with the club we run a cricket coaching programme and stage a festival involving all the schools at the club. We encourage all the pupils to get involved in club activities, to develop their skills; and to become regular club members"
Kyle Dench, Commercial Director, ACES Education
We would like to further engage with these communities through an extended programme of school visits and community liaison. We will further be offering bursaries to those participating in our All Stars and Dynamos cricket initiatives in 2026. These activities will we hope increase access to the club and widen our participation base. They will of course place further demands on our facilities
Coach Education
We work with the Yorkshire Cricket Board to provide coach education courses and the ACO to provide training for cricket scorers. As and when our project is complete we will be working with a local sports provide ACES to provide sports leadership training and in service training for PE teachers in local primary schools.
Charity Days
In recent years we have developed a tradition of staging 'Charity Days' and raising considerable sum of money for Charities such as Children's Heart Surgery Fund and MND Association. These have revolved around 6 a side and Fancy Dress cricket, Mini and Fun Olympics. In 2023 , our 100th anniversary year, we staged and ran a cricket t20 involving past and present members and Wakefield Trinity RLFC
Playschemes
We have worked with other local charities and organisations to operate school holiday play schemes for children with autism and other learning difficulties. We have also run schemes for children in care
Other community activities
We stage home fixtures and festivals for Thornes Sharks Rounders Club. We host meetings of Local Authority Housing and Social Services and carers groups.
Track Record
We have a fantastic track record when it comes to self help - generating funds to improve our facilities and benefit the local community. In the last15 years we have:
- Built a new pavilion
- Re-laid our ground -both square and outfield
- In 2021 we previously used a Crowdfunder appeal to raise the funding to add a new community room to our pavilion, improve facilities for girls and women and improve access for those with disabilities
Money well spent we'd say!!
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