New facilities including all-weather practice nets and roll-on covers will be unveiled at Heaton Cricket Club on Friday October 6th after almost two years of intensive fundraising during which the club raised £34,000 in special development grants and a further £25,000 from sponsors, donors and club events.
The launch will take place at the club’s Junior Presentation Night, when former Heaton Juniors twins Callum and Matt Parkinson, now respectively of Leicestershire CC and Lancashire CC, will present the prizes for one of the club’s most successful junior seasons ever.
Funding for the new facilities was spearheaded by a £22,000 grant contribution from Viridor Credits Environmental Company, through the Landfill Communities Fund, towards the £30,000 cost of two-lane all-weather permanent practice nets.
The Big Lottery Fund’s Awards For All gave £9,000 towards the £10,000 cost of new ladies’ toilets, while The England and Wales Cricket Trust donated £3,000 towards the £6,000 needed for roll-on covers with side sheets and bowlers’ run-ups.
The first two projects have been completed and the roll-on covers have been purchased and will be delivered ahead of the 2018 season.
Club President Rod Fray said: “We are hugely grateful to Viridor Credits, Awards For All, the EWCT and all our sponsors and donors who have made it possible for us to put these important improvements in place.
“We are already looking forward to the next phase of our development programme; we are currently in negotiations about funding for a raised viewing terrace at the back of the clubhouse for spectators, and are actively seeking grants for a new drainage scheme for the cricket outfield.
“Other plans include new sight screens and an electronic scoreboard which we will hope to self-fund in coming years; our next big projects after the ground drainage scheme will be to resurface the car parks and upgrade the dressing rooms.”
Gareth Williams, Operations Manager at Viridor Credits, said: “Heaton CC deserves great credit for its inclusivity and community focus, and this is why we are pleased to support the club in its ambitions to improve its already-good standard of cricket in all areas.”
The Junior Presentations will also celebrate a highly successful season for the club’s younger players.
The all-conquering Under 15s won the Bolton League, Bolton Knockout Cup and Lancashire Knockout Cup, while the Under 11s won the Bolton League and the Under 18s were runners up in both the Bolton League and Bolton Knockout Cup.
Rod Fray added: “The Juniors had a fantastic season, with some incredibly exciting cricket and talented young players coming through. We look forward to more great performances in coming years now that we have these terrific new facilities in place.”