Project Description
Thorncliffe Cricket Club – Upgrade Roller
Thorncliffe Cricket Club wished to upgrade their existing cricket roller and replace it with a heavy roller.
Why was it needed?
Their existing roller was coming to the end of its life. It had 3 wheels which was no good for rolling, leaving tracks on the wicket. It was also has no option for ballasting which was leading to poor pitches
The club currently had 3 senior teams and several junior sides, but they wanted to create a new senior team but need more wickets to do so. They knew that by having this roller it would enable them to create and maintain more wickets that would not only enable more local adults to take up cricket at the club but also provide an opportunity for their juniors to play at a senior cricket level.
What difference would it make?
The current roller could only produces 1 wicket at a time due to its speed and therefore the volunteer time it took to prepare the wicket. The upgraded roller the club wished to purchase was much quicker which would mean the club could do more rolling in the same amount of time and create an additional wicket. By having the additional wicket it enabled them to create a new senior team, and meet the demand of new members wishing to join the club and existing juniors wishing to progress into the senior teams.
How did they make it happen?
After speaking to us the club asked Funding 4 Sport to write them a bid to Sport England for a Small Grant. We wrote them a bid for £8,950 which was successful. The club now has an upgraded roller which is proving very useful for the club (see photographic evidence below). The club has now created another senior team which has helped them meet the demand of new players and created a pathway for juniors to go from junior cricket into senior cricket.
Robert Hulley, Vice Charman at the club said:
[quote]“The club wanted to upgrade to a heavier model and by doing so we knew it would enable them to improve and increase the number of cricket wickets, thereby increasing the quality of the playing surface to attract more people to play cricket at the club and enable more games to be played. We contacted Funding 4 Sport following a presentation they had done at the Yorkshire Cricket Board’s Club Event. We spoke with Funding 4 Sport regarding our requirement for an upgraded roller and asked for advice on the most appropriate funding stream for this. They advised us that Sport England’s Small Grants Scheme would be a good option for us to consider. After agreeing this the club asked Funding 4 Sport to write a bid on behalf of the club to Sport England on a ‘No Win, No Fee’ basis which was ideal for a club such as ours. They were very professional in their approach and wrote us a bid which saw us receive £8,950. As a club we are very grateful for Sport England for funding us and to Funding 4 Sport for helping us gain the roller we so desperately needed.”[/quote]