Seaton Carew Cricket Club receives £12,000 boost for new training nets

The revitalisation of a community cricket club has been given a massive boost after its training facilities received a major upgrade thanks to a significant charity donation.

Seaton Carew Cricket Club, based at Hornby Park on Elizabeth Way, has been donated £12,000 by The PFC Trust to install a new surface in its nets after the old ones fell into disrepair over several years.

Determined to improve their grounds, club members and supporters had been actively raising money themselves, reaching an impressive £5,000 towards their goal before The PFC Trust stepped in to get the project over the line.

Paul Frankland, Seaton Carew CC treasurer and a trustee at Hornby Park, said: "For many years we have had the need to refurbish our artificial cricket surface in the nets after general wear and tear.

"We have not been able to fund that through our normal running costs, as cricket is an expensive sport to run. Although we have gone to three senior teams and extra junior teams, that has increased the need for those nets. It brings increased costs too.

"We started some fundraising through sponsored walks and other activities, and that probably contributed to a quarter of the overall costs which are expensive. We couldn’t move forward with the project, raising that amount is very difficult, and that is when we approached The PFC Trust."

While the number of people playing cricket at Seaton had reduced in recent years, this summer has seen a remarkable revival across all age groups.

The club now fields senior teams in the NYSD Division 2, Division 4, and the NYSD Sunday North Division. They also boast a thriving junior section with two teams at the Under-11, Under-13, Under-15 and Under-17 age groups.

Hornby Park, the club’s home, also facilitates two teams playing in the Middlesbrough Midweek League and regularly hosts a number of Cleveland Schools and Durham County junior games.

Kelly Brooks, operations manager at The PFC Trust, said: "Seaton Carew Cricket Club showed incredible determination and a real willingness to reach their fundraising target, and we absolutely wanted to support that drive and help them achieve their goals.

"It is incredibly important for the charity to back local sports clubs like this, as they provide a vital space in our community where juniors can enjoy staying active, build friendships, and develop a lifelong love of sport."

The new training nets were officially opened during a bumper weekend of local cricket, coinciding with the England Lions taking on the Scotland Over-60s at Seaton Carew for the second consecutive year.

Paul said: "We have a massively growing junior section, all they want to do is play and practice, and that is a fundamental part of having a safe environment for them to play in.

“The new surface means we have a fantastic three-lane net system and gives us the opportunity, where the weather has been too damp to practice on the grass, to have the option to go in there.

"Being a Hartlepool person, the work that The PFC Trust does to help local sport is fantastic and it now provides an essential role in the health and wellbeing of people in this area, young and old.

“We know that the PFC Trust also helps so many different people and organisations in other areas, not just sport, but we are really thankful for the help they give us here and what they do for the community area."