New facilities unveiled at Horsford Cricket Club
The new facilities at Manor Park cricket ground at Horsford are officially opened. Past and present presidents, and past and present chairmen over the last 20 years at the new extension to the main pavilion, including current chairman of Norfolk, left of gap, Graham Littlewood; and life member, right of gap, Colin Crisp. Picture: Denise Bradley - Credit: copyright: Archant 2014
Norfolk's home of cricket has been given a big upgrade after new facilities at Manor Park were officially unveiled.
The new facilities at Manor Park cricket ground at Horsford are officially opened. Richard Jefferson, left, cuts the ribbon to open the new pavilion and changing rooms for the second pitch, with Steve Read, Horsford chairman. Picture: Denise Bradley - Credit: copyright: Archant 2014
Senior figures from both Horsford Cricket Club and Norfolk County Cricket Club were on hand to toast the new facilities, including an £118,000 new pavilion for the second pitch.
The new pavilion will be used by the club's third and fourth men's teams and junior cricket sides. The Manor Park main pavilion also has a new extension which will offer more dining, conference and educational space.
Horsford CC chairman Steve Read was joined by former Norfolk captain Richard Jefferson to cut the ribbon on the new facilities and is delighted with how the work has panned out.
'It's absolutely marvellous,' Read said. 'The facility down the bottom will mean there are three or four games a week down there that there wouldn't have been in the past because there was nowhere to change or shower.
The new facilities at Manor Park cricket ground at Horsford are officially opened. Maureen Wilkinson, wife of the Horsford president and builder, cuts the ribbon to open the extension to the main pavilion, with Steve Read, left, Horsford chairman; and Richard Wright, Norfolk cricket club. Picture: Denise Bradley - Credit: copyright: Archant 2014
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'It's a proper second ground now, as good as some people's first team facilities. It completes the whole ambience of the facilities that we have.'
The new pavilion was funded by a grant of £45,000 from the England and Wales Cricket Trust's grant aid programme, as well as a £10,000 interest-free loan.
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The rest of the funding was provided by a £50,000 grant from Sport England, through its Inspired Facilities Fund, and £10.000 from Norfolk County Council – with funding manager Philip Heyburn putting in a lot of time to secure the funding.
The extension to the main pavilion has been funded jointly by £25,000 from Norfolk County Cricket Club and £25,000 from the Norfolk Cricket Supporters Appeal Fund, with the balance made up by Wilkinson Builders Ltd, along with a little help from Read Brothers Ltd.
The new facilities at Manor Park cricket ground at Horsford are officially opened. Steve Read, Horsford chairman at the new pavilion and changing rooms for the second pitch. Picture: Denise Bradley - Credit: copyright: Archant 2014
The Horsford chairman added: 'The extension doubles up as lots of things. It will be used for Norfolk Cricket Board meetings, possibly East Anglian Premier League meetings, and it will be available to anybody who wants to hire it.
'Norfolk CCC will use it for AGMs, as will we (Horsford CC), and it can double up as a teaching facility for the junior players if the weather is bad.'
