January news from Staffordshire Cricket

 

 

Staffordshire Cricket receives Sport England Award

 

Staffordshire Cricket is delighted to announce an award offer from Sport England’s Community Investment Fund (CIF) to develop disability and women’s and girls’ cricket within the county.

 

Staffordshire Cricket will receive £33,000 towards a total project cost of over £60,000 to provide cricket coaching in the county’s special schools and for the on-going development of girls’ cricket.

 

Jason Britton, Staffordshire’s Cricket Development Manager said, “This is fantastic news for Staffordshire Cricket. Widening access to our sport is a key priority for us and the Sport England award will greatly assist in enabling us to deliver cricket within our special schools and further enhancing our growing numbers of girls playing the game.

 

“The project will also help to up skill any interested coaches with specialist courses on coaching disabled athletes and we intend to develop a county disability cricket team to compete against other counties in the region.”

 

Steve Town, Regional Director of Sport England West Midlands, said “This National Lottery award from Sport England’s Community Investment Fund will make a real impact on the development of disability and women and girls’ cricket in Staffordshire.

 

“Providing the coaches to deliver this work is an important aspect; having them going into special schools to deliver sporting opportunities to young disabled people will certainly widen the take up of cricket within this priority group. The women and girls’ game will also be greatly enhanced in the county through this initiative. I look forward to hearing news of the work."

 

The programmes are planned to begin in the spring and anyone wishing to find out more about the projects or getting involved in the coaching sessions should contact Jason Britton at jason.britton@ecb.co.uk.

 

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'Go Green' proves a success for Staffs clubs

The ECB started a 'Go Green Fund' in May 2008 with a £200,000 pot available to all clubs in the country.
There was a maximum £10,000 given to anyone project with 25% of the funding coming from the club itself.

Ten Staffordshire clubs benefitted from this project with grants ranging from £1,800 to £10,000 in the county.

Projects in Staffordshire that were aided are new windows and doors, rain water harvesting to be used to water the square and new boilers to two clubs.

Andy Grice , marketing and funding director for Staffordshire Cricket is naturally delighted at the successes.

"Some of Staffordshire's clubs have done very well out of this fund and I congratulate every one of them in spending the time to send applications in to the ECB."

Grice went on to add: "What was nice is when you see clubs rewarded who have worked very hard with very little grant awards in the past. Staffordshire Cricket try to give good advice to benefit all clubs and if our efforts only help a little to bring in such funding we are delighted to help."

 

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UKCC 2 coaching course added

Due to popular demand we have added a further Coach Award course to our 2008-09 programme.

 

The course will take place at Himley Cricket Club on 21/22/28/29 July from 10am-5pm with the assessment at Stafford Grammar School on 4^th September from 6pm.

 

Candidates must be over 18 to attend

 

Please cascade this information to your contacts and places will be filled on a first come first served basis with a completed application and a cheque for £290 payable to Staffordshire Cricket Board, or contact Stephen Walker stephen.walker@ecb.co.uk

 

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Cheadle CC information regarding CricketForce 2009

Cheadle Cricket Club is undergoing a mass renovation over the weekend of 28^th and 29th March: and now they are asking for in kind support from local businesses in return for lots of publicity.

 

Cheadle CC has been selected as the Staffordshire showcase club for NatWest CricketForce, the biggest sport volunteering event in the country. Amidst a carnival and family atmosphere over the two days, the club’s facilities will be given their biggest ever renovation.

 

The Club has drawn up a list of renovation projects and any businesses that can help in any way will be rewarded with the kind of publicity opportunity that money can’t buy.

 

Businesses who agree to donate their time and expertise to the project will be welcome to promote their company over the weekend however they see fit: and the ground will be crammed with volunteers, local dignitaries, sporting celebrities, members of the public, media and other business contacts.

 

Companies will gain goodwill from the local community, as well as being permitted to hand out their business cards and promotional literature, or even host promotional stalls throughout the weekend. Also, a plaque presentation board will be inaugurated after the event displaying the name of every company that contributed to the project

 

The work to be carried out is set to include: the renovation of the changing and toilet facilities, restoration of public seating, the extension of power supplies, a regeneration of the club’s net facilities, new or improved sightscreens and plenty of general painting and decorating.

 

The flagship project, meanwhile, will be a complete refurbishment of the Members’ Lounge with a new layout, bar and seating all proposed to be completed over the weekend.

 

Cricketers from Derbyshire County Cricket Club plus locally bred professional footballers Gareth Owen (Port Vale) and Andy Wilkinson (Stoke City) have already agreed to come and muck in, so plenty of media coverage is guaranteed.

 

If you think that your company can help, in any way, contact Neil Sommerville on 07805 110505 or email cheadlecricketforce09@hotmail.co.uk and take advantage of this unique publicity opportunity.

 

The club are also offering one company the opportunity of sponsoring a new electronic scoreboard. As the most looked at part of the ground throughout the cricket season, this is an excellent branding opportunity for a local business and there are also ground board advertising opportunities available.

 

Project Manager Elgin Smith commented: “Cheadle Cricket Club and the local community will only get one chance to maximise the opportunity of being a NatWest Cricket Force Focus Club.

 

“It is likely to be another five years before even another club from Staffordshire gets this opportunity so I would urge local businesses and the community to unite and make it a success.

 

“With the Cricket Club gaining an excellent development of its facilities and businesses having a unique opportunity to promote themselves, NatWest Cricket Force is beneficial to all and we could also have a lot of fun in the process.”

 

Staffordshire Cricket Funding and Marketing Director Andy Grice commented: “I am delighted for Staffordshire Cricket to be backing this project and I wish Cheadle Cricket Club all the very best for the weekend.

 

“The club are already making excellent progress with their programme and event and the prospect of seeing it come to fruition, with the help of local businesses, is tremendously exciting.”

  

For further information contact Tom Holdcroft on 07791 273819 or email the club on cheadlecricketforce09@hotmail.co.uk