A Rochdale cricket club is fast moving into a new era after receiving a £3,000 grant that will help pay for a much-needed upgrade.
Thornham Cricket Club in Middleton has been handed a £3,000 cash boost by Lloyds Bank Community Fund after the public chose them in an open vote.
The club will use the cash to buy a new outfield cutter to replace their current one – which has been in constant use for the past 30 years.
The new machine is part of the club’s planned improvement’s for 2014 and the Lancashire County League side is also building new changing rooms, rewiring its electricity supply and installing new sewage pipes.
Thornham Cricket Club chairman Ian Heywood, a 52-year-old civil servant, said the Lloyds cash grant is a huge boost for the club.
“The current cutter is about 30 years old and costs £500 a year just to service,” said Ian, a dad of five now in his fourth year as club chairman.
“It was a huge cost in terms of maintenance and we have been looking to replace it with a new machine.
“It will benefit the club in terms of it is a lot quicker to do – that has obvious benefits for us in keeping the surface in good playing condition.”
Now in its second year, the Lloyds Bank Community Fund gave grants to more than 1,332 local good causes in 333 communities throughout England and Wales.
Four good causes were nominated by staff in each community with more than 2.3million votes cast in branches, online and by text message between September 23 and November 1.
Thornham Cricket Club has three senior squads with the top two playing in the Lees Brewery Lancashire County League, as well as U17, U15, and U13 teams.
And Ian added that the improvements, which are set to be in place by the start of the 2014 season, represent an exciting change for the club.
“We do have large local support,” added Ian. “The response from members of the community to be honest has been fantastic.
“Hopefully we can help repay those who voted for us by making the club an nicer place to be in the near future.”
Lloyds Bank provided funding to 1,332 community groups in England & Wales through its Community Fund in 2013. To find out more about the community groups in your area, visit www.lloydsbank.com/communityfund
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