New pavilion bid to score more cricket club members
A cricket club in Shropshire is expecting to see a surge in membership after upgrading its facilities with the opening of a new £130,000 pavilion.
Members of Calverhall Cricket Club, based in the village between Whitchurch and Market Drayton, are hoping the new facility will also encourage more people to take up the sport in the wake of the London Olympics.
The club launched a fundraising campaign 18 months ago in a bid to replace an old wooden hut, described as 'small and cramped'.
But now the new pavilion has finally opened, villagers said they had been bowled over by its success.
Besides cricket, it is hoped the pavilion will also enable more people to take up other sports in the village and surrounding area.
Oliver Griffiths, treasurer and first team captain, said: "It's a great addition to the village and it's for all the community to use.
"It's not just for cricket, people can play tennis there as well. The project has been going for a couple of years. Before we used a wooden hut which was small and cramped. We hope it will encourage more playing members.
"We currently have people from Market Drayton and Whitchurch."
The pavilion held an open day and there was a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the completion on August 12.
Funding for the revamp came from the club's own fundraising activities, Shropshire Council's Market Towns Revitalisation Programme, the Northern Marches
Leader Programme, Local Joint Committee and the parish council.
Club officials said once a few internal jobs were completed, the building would provide a place where young people could get involved in many different sports.
For further information visit the website http://www.facebook.com/#!/CalverhallCC.
