Sandwich Town Cricket Club awarded £50,000 of funding from Sport England
Sandwich Town Cricket Club is among 324 local sports projects to secure a share of £17 million of National Lottery funding from Sport England’s inspired Facilities fund.
Since 2011, Inspired Facilities has been helping breathe new life into community sports facilities and converting existing buildings into venues suitable for grassroots sport.
Sandwich Town Cricket Club will receive £50,000 of National Lottery funding towards upgrading its cricket pavilion at Gazen Salts, which has helped thousands of local young people get into sport in recent years. The improvements will comprise a front extension and internal renovations to the 35 year old building, which will provide female changing facilities, 2 larger unisex changing rooms, and communal areas all with disability access.
Sandwich Town Cricket Club has matched a further £50,000 funding, and grants have been received from Kent County Council, and Sandwich Toll Bridge Fund. The bid was also supported by Dover District Council, who own the pavilion and sports ground, and who provided support ‘in kind’ with professional input and advice.
Sport England Property Director, Charles Johnston, said: “The Inspired Facilities Fund has had a huge impact on grassroots sport across the country. Since 2011, we’ve invested £88 million into more than 1,600 projects to improve and refurbish sports clubs and transform non-sporting venues into vibrant community sports clubs. It’s great to see Sandwich Town Cricket Club join the long list of successful clubs to benefit from this fund.”
Club Chairman, John Jones, said: “The project will deliver significant and permanent sporting benefits to existing and future users of the Gazen Salts ground as well as to the wider community. Sandwich Town Cricket Club is matching the Sport England funding as an investment in our future, to provide cricketing facilities commensurate with our progress to Kent Premier League status. Our thanks go to Dover District Council for their support in this project.”
Cllr Sue Chandler, Dover District Council Cabinet Member for community said: “We are very pleased that the Sandwich Town Cricket Club has been successful in this bid, and that facilities at the location can be improved to benefit the club, to support local sport provision, and to benefit the wider community for the future of the area.”
Local MP Laura Sandys, who has been supportive of the project, said: “I am thrilled that Sandwich Town Cricket Club has been successful in its bid for funding from Sport England. This grant is very good news indeed, enabling the Club not only to improve its facilities but also expand its offering. The Club is a valued part of the community and I am very much looking forward to visiting the new facilities once works are complete. My warm congratulations go to all the members and supporters on their hard work in securing this funding.”
Many more communities are set to benefit from the hugely popular fund, with the latest round of the Inspired Facilities now open. Community and voluntary organisations, councils and schools can bid for a share of £20 million to help upgrade facilities that can be unattractive, expensive to run and difficult to maintain, and to convert existing non-sporting buildings into venues that are suitable for grassroots sport.
Applying for funding has never been easier. Based on feedback from previous applicants, the Inspired Facilities Fund is now an open programme which means projects can submit applications as soon as they are ready rather than being restricted by a specific deadline.
To find out more and bid, visit www.sportengland.org/inspiredfacilities.
