Like most Clubs, fundraising is an on-going and perpetual challenge - Bridgwater Cricket Club is certainly no exception. Their Clubhouse was being maintained in the short term through the Club's fundraising efforts, but these temporary fixes were starting to become cost prohibitive to carry on. The increased use of the facility by more and more visitors was taking its toll and the Club felt that they needed an injection of funds to get the Clubhouse modernised and up to spec. More specifically we wanted to use the Club as a social hub for functions and fundraisers and make using the Club a better experience for all those that came.
After being awarded funding by Valencia Communities Fund back in 2015 for new practice nets, the Club thought to approach Valencia Communities Fund again in late 2017. The Stage 1 and Stage application forms were completed and in January 2018 Valencia Communities Fund were please to announce to the Club that they were successful in their application for £14,574 - the works would include a new mower, refurbishment of their artificial wicket, sightscreens and new scoreboard as well as the internal refurbishment of the Clubhouse itself. Works progressed very rapidly and as they completed their final draw down of funding in April 2018, the Club were able to unveil their re-vamped facilities that will keep the Club going for years to come.
"We had heard about the Valencia Communities Fund scheme but thought that we might be ineligible or perhaps the process would be too complicated and time consuming however we couldn't have been more wrong"Andy Wood - Chairman, Bridgwater Cricket Club.
