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LEWDOWN Cricket Club has been awarded a grant of more than £14,000 from the England and Wales Cricket Trust to improve facilities on the ground.
The EWCTs grant aid programme aims to finance capital projects, including renovations to improve facilities which contribute to sustaining and increasing participation.
Lewdown was identified by the Devon Cricket Board and by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) as a club of strategic and developmental importance due to the grassroots game.
The B Division club has been awarded a grant of £14,640 towards the cost of a two-bay synthetic practice area, which has boosted the coaching and development programme.
The EWCT also made a £5,000 interest-free loan and the total project cost was approximately £27,000. West Devon Borough Council also gave a grant of £4,500.
Charlie Hughes, the Lewdown chairman, said: “We were really delighted when we were awarded the grant because we urgently needed to up-grade our practice facilities.
“The two-bay practice area is excellent and the high-quality ECB specification has provided the ideal safe pitches which are so important in the development of young cricketers.
“We have nearly 100 young players – including girls – and through our qualified coaches we will be able to offer a much more structured coaching programme to all age groups.
“In recent years the club has made good progress having achieved ECB Clubmark and Focus Club status and this enabled us to apply for the grant and the loan.
“We have also been a Chance to Shine club and last summer we provided coaching and play opportunities in the local schools.
“We aim to increase participation and we hope to develop a girls’ section as part of our cricket development programme.
“We are pleased the ECB has recognised the work we do in the development of the game and we are especially grateful to the England and Wales Cricket Trust for the generous grant and loan as we could not afford these new facilities from our own resources.
“We also express our gratitude to the West Devon Borough Council for their grant. We regard the grants as an investment in cricket at the Club and for the benefit of the community generally.”
Brian Havill, EWCT trustee said, “The England and Wales Cricket Trust is pleased to support projects that sustain high-quality participation and enhance facilities.
“It is important that cricket clubs have access to funding, such as through this grant aid programme, that allows them to make their facilities available to the local community and schools and community groups.”