• Thu. Mar 28th, 2024

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Boost for Cricket Club Nursery Ground

 

Screen Shot 2015-06-03 at 09.46.31DURHAM County Cricket Club is on track to secure the funding needed to push on with plans to create a new nursery ground after receiving a £30k donation.

Grantmaking charity County Durham Community Foundation (CDCF) is supporting DCCC with its bid to raise £150,000 for the development of the ground, and has been successful in securing £30,000 from The Sir James Knott Trust who are delighted to support the initiative.

The funding will be used to transform an area of land, close to the Emirates Durham International Cricket Ground, into a nursery ground that can be used by the community – in particular young and female cricketers.

Viv Stapley, Trust Secretary from The Sir James Knott Trust said that she was pleased to be able to donate money to CDCF to go towards the Club’s First Class Futures initiative.

She said: “We are hugely supportive of the club’s bid to develop a nursery ground, and it is clear that such a facility will significantly improve the confidence and ability of a great many people, given the fact this will be a resource for the local community and County Durham.

Playing a part in helping Durham’s future cricketers flourish and supporting prosperity in the community is a real privilege and we are delighted to work with CDCF and to support the club in its bid to give more young people the best chance to succeed in the sport.”

The Sir James Knott Trust is an independent, grant making charitable trust based in Newcastle upon Tyne supporting community projects in Tyne and Wear, Northumberland and County Durham including Hartlepool.  The aim of Sir James Knott Trust is to help improve the conditions of people living and working in the North East of England.

The club announced its hopes to develop the nursery ground last year, and launched a Crowdfunder bid that helped to raise more than £50,000.  Added to the Sir James Knott Trust support, it is hoped the club will soon be able to get work started, with further corporate funding expected to come in soon.

The club’s ambitious plans to redevelop its Chester-Le-Street facility has seen bosses submit a planning application to the council for the installation of permanent floodlights on the grounds.  This is part of a scheme to secure the future of international cricket at the EDICG, essential to the long-term sustainability of the club.

“The nursery ground is an important part of a much bigger picture,” said David Harker, chief executive of Durham County Cricket Club.

“The club’s Academy is responsible for a great many talented players, who have helped to turn DCCC into the hugely successful club it is today.  We want to create a strong, sustainable club, and to do that we must create an opportunity for young talent and women cricketers to hone their skills.  This nursery ground will deliver huge community benefits, and we are extremely grateful to CDCF and the Sir James Knott Trust for their support.  We move one big step further forward towards our aim of raising £150,000.”

The club announced plans for its Big Birthday Blast, a joint fundraising event with CDCF that will take place on Sunday, August 16.  The event will be a day of family focused fun that will also help to raise money for the nursery ground.  The event will see the Lashings cricket team – a team made up of a number of international cricketers  – play a T20 cricket match that will help introduce the sport to new audiences, as well as interval entertainment from Peppa Pig and SpongeBob SquarePants, food and drink from local producers and a range of fun day activities, including soft play, face painting and other celebrity guests.

Tickets are available online at DCCC’s website: www.durhamccc.co.uk.  Adult tickets are £5 and children go free.

By admin