Green light for new cricket nets as New Mills Cricket Club hits funding target
A ‘huge milestone’ for New Mills Cricket Club as they have managed to raise £15,000 which means Sport England will also donate the same figure and the club can push on with the new outdoor training nets.
The good news was announced that the target had been raised on Thursday July, 9.
Jack Hadfield from New Mills Cricket Club said: “This is absolutely fantastic news and an incredible effort from everyone involved.
“Thank you so much to everyone that has donated, we couldn't have done it without you.”
By reaching their crowdfunding target, they have now secured the £15,000 Sport England grant.
Jack said: “This is a huge milestone and means we can now begin the process of inviting tenders from ECB-approved cricket net installers to ensure we get the best possible value for the club.”
The original £30,000 target will fund the refurbishment of the cricket nets in their current layout, which, Jack says is a brilliant achievement in itself.
At the moment, only one artificial net is usable, which means sessions can be crowded and it is difficult to give everyone enough time to train properly but the new funding means new nets and repairs to the ground works around the training facility.
“However, if we can keep the momentum going and raise a little more before the campaign closes, we have the opportunity to make the project even better.”
The club say with more money they could consider renewing the surrounding perimeter fencing as well as extending the run-ups, increasing the length of the batting cage and also upgrading to higher-quality netting.
Jack also says the club could potentially even add a third practice lane, which he admits may be ambitious, but it’s good to dream.
He said: “With that in mind, we're setting a stretch target of £32,500 to see how far we can go in the remaining days of the campaign.
“Every extra pound raised will help us deliver even more for the club and create facilities that will benefit players of all ages for years to come.”
Jack added: “Thank you once again for your incredible support, let's see what we can achieve together.”