Market Overton Cricket Club launch crowdfunding appeal for help boost coffers

A thriving Rutland cricket club has launched a fundraising drive to help expand its facilities.

Market Overton Cricket Club is looking to build a third changing room and shower room plus accessible toilet due to a growth in players in their senior teams.

The Thistleton Road club has seen an increase in female and junior players appearing in their Leicestershire League and Grantham & Melton Association teams.

However, the Covid-19 pandemic left the club with a truncated campaign and hit their hopes of trying to raise £5,000 to fund the work.

With the project in jeopardy, they have now started a crowdfunding campaign to help boost the club’s coffers.

A club statement said: “Due to the significant growth and ongoing success of our women’s and girls and junior sections at Market Overton, we are now in need of a third changing room with a shower room to enable a private area to freshen up after the game or training. We also want to add an accessible toilet with wheelchair access.

“Since starting our junior section in 2015 we now have more than 80 children coming to the club for training and games on a weekly basis.

“Since 2018 our women’s and girls section has grown to more than 40 members and is now one of the largest women’s sections in Leicestershire in just over two years and it continues to grow.

“The success of these sections has led to many juniors and women being selected for our open age teams (formerly men’s cricket) - meaning we now run three weekend teams (two Saturday and one Sunday).

“This rapid but sustainable growth means we now have the need for the third changing room, to be used for juniors, women and umpires (when we host Leicestershire Pathway games).

“We are a family-friendly and progressive club and we are hoping for support to reach our goal of £5,000.

“This will allow us to provide appropriate facilities for so many players to enjoy cricket at Market Overton CC.”

Anyone able to donate can visit their crowdfunding page at www.crowdfunder.co.uk/3rd-changing-room-showers-new-accessible-toilet