SWALEC to invest £100,000 into community cricket

Wales’ leading energy provider, SWALEC, has announced plans to invest £100,000 into grass roots cricket clubs in Wales.

As it enters its fourth season of a ten-year partnership as venue sponsors of the SWALEC Stadium and official partners of Glamorgan Cricket, SWALEC has launched a Community Development Fund to help support and strengthen local cricket clubs across Wales.

 

The ‘SWALEC Community Development Fund’ will reward the grass roots cricket clubs of Wales by providing £10,000 each season to clubs for required equipment and kit, or to upgrade facilities.

The first Club set to benefit from this fund is Aberdare Cricket Club, after demonstrating significant growth over the past six years and a commitment to improving the club for the benefit of its teams and the wider community. Since 2006, the Club, which hosts five senior teams and four junior teams, has been extremely proactive in sourcing funding in order to develop the club’s facilities and this has in turn helped the club go from strength to strength. The 1st XI has climbed from division 5 in 2005 to division 1 in 2011, and the junior sides have also witnessed growing success.

As is evident at Aberdare, the SWALEC Community Development Fund, which is in association with Cricket Wales and Glamorgan County Cricket Club, aims to develop active participation in the recreational game in Wales and improve the cricket experience at grass roots level.

Club Chairman, Paul Evans, commented, “We are delighted with the funding awarded to us by SWALEC, which has enabled the purchase of the first pitch mower and practise net owned by the Club itself.”

“Equipment such as this benefits Aberdare Cricket Club greatly, as it improves the facilities amongst which juniors will experience cricket. Junior participation is a primary objective for our committee and coaches as we aim to attract local children to enjoy the sport both on and off the pitch.”

The new initiative builds on the SWALEC Premier Cricket League which was launched last year to help bridge the gap between club and county cricket.

Alan Williams, Director of Energy Sales, SWALEC, commented: “The SWALEC Community Development Fund is yet another testament to our commitment to the communities in which we serve. Last year we successfully launched the SWALEC Premier Cricket League to provide a real stepping stone between club and county cricket. This year, we’re going one step further with the launch of the Community Development Fund to support and strengthen community clubs at a grassroots level.”

The successful clubs will be selected by a judging panel of Alan Williams, SWALEC Director of Energy Supply, Peter Hybart, Cricket Wales Director of Cricket, Colin Metson, Glamorgan Cricket Managing Director of Cricket, and Robert Croft, Glamorgan Cricket player.

Peter Hybart, Director of Cricket at Cricket Wales, said: “The local cricket club is the backbone of cricket in this country, and with the help of initiatives like the SWALEC Community Development Fund, they can be strengthened to develop active participation in the recreational game and improve the cricket experience for players, members and the wider community."

Clubs are invited to apply to the fund, which is open to all cricket clubs in Wales that are affiliated to Cricket Wales and the ECB, but must be in a position to match fund 50% of their allowance. Clubs will be judged on the commitment demonstrated in their application to the criteria set by the judging panel.

Colin Metson, Managing Director of Cricket at Glamorgan Cricket, said: “We’re delighted to be working with SWALEC on this community initiative. Community clubs have an important role to play in the overall development of the sport so it’s key that these clubs are supported and have the necessary equipment, kit and facilities to enjoy the game at its full potential. This initiative is great because by asking clubs to match fund their allocations, it is hoped that the whole club and community will get behind the initiative for the benefit of its players.”

For more information and to apply visit www.glamorgancricket.co.uk/swaleccdf. Deadline for submissions for grants for the 2011 season is 6^th July 2011.

Media enquiries to Amy Harrison/Lyndsey Jenkins at freshbaked PR on 02920 668090 or email a.harrison@freshbaked.co.uk