Sport England: Active Together has provided £4,500 of match funding
Wells Cricket Club Covid Recovery Fund
South Horrington Village, England, United Kingdom
Aim
Wells CC struggled through 2020; COVID19 dented fundraising progress for a much needed 2-lane Training Net facility.
Wells Cricket Club is a community and participation club in Mendip, Somerset. Our primary focus is providing engaging and fun cricket coaching for children and young people.
The Club has achieved Clubmark Accreditation by demonstrating the best practices are in place to develop and deliver high quality community cricket in a safe, effective and child-friendly way.
Wells CC junior section has grown significantly in the last few years and is now a thriving environment for children to develop into young cricketers. In 2021 Wells CC has increased it's junior setup to give more children the chance to play; now boasting multiple teams at U17/U15, U13 and U11 age groups as wells as a dedicated Girls section. Wells CC also leads an ECB All Stars programme for boys and girls 5-8years to start their cricketing journey.
What are we doing and why?
COVID-19 impact
The 2020 season was severely impacted by COVID-19 with all players missing out on the fun and enjoyment that playing sport brings. From a financial point of view the Club suffered heavily with a reduction in fixtures and match fees, reduced income from sponsorship and reduced playing subscriptions. Wells CC is also a popular venue for hire and due to restrictions we had to remain closed. We were also unable to host any of our usual fundraising events such as Horrington Fair, Quiz nights, New Years Eve and other community parties.
As a club we are raising funds to counteract this shortfall and get back on track with our Club improvement programme.
During the 2020 season our volunteers used their time to complete some great work to our ground in South Horrington. The clubhouse was re-painted inside and out, and the main hall area, bar and kitchen are ready when permitted to host events in style. Some of the players turned their hands to building a set of steps at the front of the clubhouse which has made it much more welcoming and improved access for all around what was previously a cramped area around the ramp. Other volunteers (much braver than me) scaled the 10m height to repair the boundary nets from the high winds and bad weather in winter 2019.
Our ground in South Horrington is a great open space for all local residents to enjoy. A heart warming fundraising campaign in 2020 saw >80 individuals contribute towards the cost of 4 new benches which were installed by Wells CC volunteers. These benches are used by everyone in the community and have really been a safe space to enjoy during the isolating lockdowns of 2020/2021.
But more repairs are needed to Wells Cricket Club pavilion to make it an even better space for our community. We plan to replace the carpeted flooring with a wipe-clean surface to make cleaning between bookings much easier.
Unfortunately the Club has suffered a number of break-ins in recent years and works are needed to repair damage from this and also stolen items. Most recently our rusty but trusty Landrover used to pull the gangs to cut the grass was stolen and the club has suffered financial outlay to replace this item. We also have broken windows and tiles which need to be repaired to keep us looking tip top. The club is planning to further increase it's security system to detour would-be criminals in the future but this all comes at a cost.
What will the money be spent on?
The funding will be spent on improving the playing environment for our young cricketers
The money raised will contribute towards a number of key areas:
- Installation of a 2-lane Training Net Facility
The money raised will contribute significantly towards building a dedicated 2-lane cricket training net facility. Currently all of our sides (junior and senior) don't have a dedicated training facility. This typically results in the cricket square being used for training sessions, or ultimately for the juniors a lot of soft-ball sessions on the outfield.
- Purchase a cover to keep the Junior Match strips dry from adverse weather
Currently our mobile covers are only able to cover the Saturday match wicket which unfortunately junior fixtures are cancelled.
- Finance additional coaching qualifications so we can continue to run more sessions
In 2020 Wells CC qualified an additional 3 x Level 2 coaches, but with more than 100 juniors playing every week we need to continue to train more coaches to keep up with demand and also diversify our coaching staff too.
- Purchase of additional coaching equipment so more sessions can run simultaneously
In addition to this we will continue to self generate revenue to cover the running costs of the club; ground maintenance, umpire fees, coaching costs, PPE equipment etc
Who in the community will benefit from this project?
Wells CC is a thriving community hub throughout the summer and provides a great place for families to watch and play sport.
Achieving our target will allow us to continue providing great and safe sporting facilities for the local area.
Lockdown has had a big impact on reducing access to team sports, and with restrictions easing this spring Wells CC wants to offer as many playing options to as many juniors and seniors as possible.
- Current and future junior members to train and play weekly
- 2 senior sides to train and play weekly
- Western Storm Academy scheduled to train at the ground in 2021
- NEW dedicated Girls training section with weekly training and fixtures led by Somerset Cricket Board
- All Stars (5-8 year olds introduction to cricket)
- SASP School cricket tournament day scheduled to return in 2021
- Local village clubs are welcome to use the facilities to help fellow grass-roots community cricket
The club as a whole will continue to be an active part of our community and host
- Outdoor events with live music and BBQ
- Outdoor exercise classes open to all in the community including Zumba, Pilates, Clubercise and TaiChi
- 1-1 Personal Training Sessions
- Clubhouse hire for a range of local groups including Mendip Ladies Group and Mother & Baby groups
- Clubhouse hire for parties hosted by Wells CC or private events
Looking forward to the 2021 season!
With the ECB return to play roadmap now in place we're expecting a full return to cricket in summer 2021, but with similar restriction in place to the 2020 season. These restrictions do mean that our potential revenue will be impacted as the clubhouse will continue to be out of action for hosting community events.
But overall Wells CC are ready and raring for an action-packed summer filled with smiles and sunshine and more cricket than ever before.
Thanks as always!
Wells Cricket Club
This project successfully funded on 14th June 2021