Tees Valley Community Foundation funded a new state-of-the-art practice facility and electronic scoreboard at Skelton Castle Cricket Club.
We issued a grant of £36,500 on behalf of our donors, to create the 33 meter, fully enclosed, multi-use practice facility and a fully digital scoreboard visible from 200 meters.
The club, which successfully engages with people who wouldn’t otherwise take part in physical activity due to health challenges and social isolation, has achieved enormous success in the last 5 years.
It’s grown from having no team at all into a thriving club with under 11s, 13s and 15s teams. It also has a senior team to ensure development pathways are in place for junior members.
The club has also become something of a young people’s hub, delivering outstanding activities to children of all ages.
The new practice facility, which was completed just days ago, will enable safe, quality participation in cricket for all the community, including local schools. The addition of an enclosed net provides the club with a fantastic and inspiring facility for both junior and senior cricketers to develop skills and experience.
“Skelton Castle Cricket Club prides itself on the focus and development of juniors’ sports within the local community and we are delighted to continue to realise our dreams and ambitions,” said Dave Hodgson, vice chairperson.
“The facility provides the option to train all season round and in particular, during the out-of-season months it ensures our junior coaching sessions can continue. The facility also enables focussed one-to-one sessions for coaching and development of new and existing juniors. Sessions have previously been cancelled due to weather conditions and not having a suitable place to practise,” he said.
“As a club we cannot thank TVCF for assisting in the funding of this class-leading facility; It goes without saying that it will promote the growth of cricket in the local community, and we will be working closely with local authorities and schools to do that.”
