Unveil £70k Clubhouse Refurbishment
Local cricket club joined by Woking MP and new Mayor for ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially re-open Brewery Road Clubhouse following months of renovation courtesy of a grant from the Inspired Facilities Fund from Sport England
Woking & Horsell Cricket Club were joined by Jonathan Lord MP and, in one of his first public appearances, newly-elected Mayor, Tony Branagan, to unveil their newly renovated clubhouse on Brewery Road.
The Club announced that they had secured an initial £32,000 in legacy funding from Sport England in August last year and—with an additional £17,500 from Sport England and the Club raising £20,000—have been able to complete the full £70k renovation project on-time for the new season.
The extensive redesign and construction work carried out by MPH Contracts Ltd includes a complete refurbishment and redecoration of the clubhouse interior; new insulation, flooring, windows and doors; a complete overhaul of the boiler and heating system; new lighting and new shower facilities for the players.
The new clubhouse will be enjoyed by the more than 100 adult and 300 junior cricketers that play for WHCC as well as Surrey Deaf County Cricket Club who, since 2013, have called Woking & Horsell Cricket Club their home. The changes will also benefit Woking & Horsell Football Club and the Jiminy Cricket Playgroup who also use the Brewery Road facilities.
Speaking at a short opening ceremony on Friday 6th June in front of the hordes of youngsters who play cricket at Woking & Horsell every week, WHCC Chairman, Peter Smith said:
“This is a massive moment in the long history of this cricket club. Everyone on the Committee deserves a huge amount of credit for the work they put in to secure the funding, to get the plans in place and deliver this fantastic clubhouse on time and on budget.”
Smith continued: “I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve all achieved. We now have a clubhouse befitting of our membership and our role in the local community. This is a vital step in securing the future of this club and I hope we can now grow from strength to strength. We can attract new players now and we can provide for more juniors and get more young people into cricket in Woking & Horsell. The future is looking very bright for this cricket club.
“But we couldn’t have done it without the help of so many people outside the club. Our thanks go to Tom Andrews and all those at Sport England, Phil Jessop of ISG, Martin Hume and the team from MPH and all those who have shown so much support for this project from the outset.”
Long-time supporter and proponent of the project, Jonathan Lord MP, expressed his excitement at seeing the final product and the potential he sees for the club in the future:
“This is a great local cricket club with all the right values and principles to be successful on the field and make an important contribution to our community off it too. I have great admiration for the Club’s commitment to youth cricket and their support of both England and Surrey Deaf Cricket. They are thoroughly deserving of the funding they received. I’m delighted to see the improvements made to the clubhouse. It is certainly a fitting home for everyone involved with the club.”
Photo taken by the Woking News & Mail.