Seaton Carew Cricket Club is gearing up for the start of the new cricket season buoyed by the continuation of a long-standing and valued partnership with Hart Biologicals.
The club’s first game is scheduled away at Thornaby on April 19 before a first home fixture in NYSD Division One set for April 26 against Marske at Hornby Park, Elizabeth Way.
The support from Hart Biologicals holds special significance for Seaton Carew CC, stretching back over 15 years to the time when the late Alby Pattison, the founder of Hart Bio, first began sponsoring the club.
And the relationship is a legacy that Hart Bio is keen to maintain believing community involvement is key to the company’s approach.
Jason Pattison, Operations Manager at Hart Bio and Alby’s nephew, said: “It is good to sponsor sports clubs in the town. Alby was passionate about sponsoring lots of events, clubs, organisations, and with the support of our now Managing Director Alex Ebinger we are keen to carry that on.”
While Hart Bio has had to streamline sponsorships in recent years, the support for Seaton Carew CC and Hartlepool Rovers Rugby Club has remained a priority because of Alby’s huge connections to both.
The partnership with Seaton Carew CC also serves a practical purpose for Hart Bio, a manufacturer of In-Vitro Diagnostic medical reagents.
Jason said: “We need fresh whole blood samples to test our products and we have a phlebotomy team who go round local colleges, businesses, schools where people volunteer and blood is used in the quality control testing of our products.
“We then put sponsor days on, like the upcoming one at Hornby Park on May 10, for all of the kind volunteers as a thank you.
“That event will take place when Seaton Carew’s first team will be playing and, with free drinks flowing, some nice food, they tend to be well attended with people sitting on the balcony enjoying the cricket.”
The continued sponsorship from Hart Biologicals is a significant boost for Seaton Carew CC as they look forward to the new season and a brighter looking future.
Paul Frankland, Seaton Carew CC treasurer, said: “The key point is how long Hart Bio has sponsored us. They were a fundamental part of Seaton having its best six years of cricket in NYSD Premier League and being a key part before and after that period.
“They helped us fund our first ever professionals which was an unbelievable period for the club and since then cricket has become more difficult to sustain.
“Hart Bio have stayed with us, supported us, and having them on board at Hornby Park and hosting them with sponsor days is fantastic.”
And Paul added: “We are now in a position where we are starting to develop and reinvent the club through a very promising junior section. Without sponsors we can’t continue. The general running costs of just playing cricket is £15,000 a year.
“The links with Hartlepool College of Further Education, Speedy Hire and the people in the local community with the huge volunteer effort always helps too.
“We now look at the start of the season with a new sense of belief knowing we are comfortable financially, so we can concentrate on playing and running the club. People like those at Hart Bio have allowed a baseline for that to continue.”
*Anyone looking to support or play for Seaton Carew CC can contact pfrankland28@gmail.com