Redruth Cricket Club has secured a share of £10 million of National Lottery funding from Sport England’s Inspired Facilities fund.

Since 2011, Inspired Facilities has been helping breathe new life into tired community sports facilities and converting existing buildings into venues suitable for grassroots sport.

Redruth Cricket Club has secured £75,000 of funding toward much needed redevelopment of their clubhouse at Trewirgie, Redruth.  Founded in 1830, the current clubhouse was last updated in the 1960’s; there is a long-standing need for the club facilities to be improved to support the continued growth of sporting opportunities for club users; the sub-standard and outdated facilities offer little to no opportunity for our female players/teams nor disables players and users. The two existing changing rooms are outdated and too small to accommodate the modern-players’ equipment and belongs and with the male general public having to pass by the shower facilities to use the WC facilities, the situation is far from ideal in its current format.  Similarly, the kitchen area, where the “cricket-teas” are prepared on match days is also very much out of date and needs a complete refurbishment in order to bring it up to being a modern and hygienic facility suitable for such food preparation.

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 £94 million into more than 1,800 projects to improve and refurbish sports clubs and transform non-sporting venues into vibrant community sports clubs.

“It’s great to see Redruth Cricket Club join the long list of successful clubs to benefit from this fund.”

Club Secretary, Neil Howarth, said: “We are delighted to have secured this investment, which means we can upgrade the quality of our premises to match the quality of our cricket coaches. It is the cornerstone of our club development strategy to have an outstanding clubhouse so that off-field activities can match the superb on-field playing conditions.”

 Sarah Stevens, first team scorer and former club chairman, said “It is fantastic news to have secured the Inspired Facilities funding award to help re-develop the clubhouse at Trewirgie.  We are a thriving club, with an excellent youth section, led by Peter Bolland our Director of Cricket, an example of this player-progression being that two of our senior first team players, now in their mid-twenties having played all their cricket at Redruth since the age of 6, progressing through from u11’s to present day.  It will be great for our members to enjoy much improved facilities. Our ambitious project can still benefit from gaining further interest and involvement from other organisations, companies and individuals (including non-members) who may be able to offer help in various ways; financial or donation of time/goods.”

Local MP, George Eustice said; “I was very pleased to hear that Redruth Cricket Club have been awarded such a significant grant toward their new clubhouse. I have always supported this important project and a new clubhouse will offer a huge amount of benefits to the club and the community.  This is a big step in the right direction”.

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.