A donation of materials from a local manufacturer has helped Temple Sowerby Cricket Club turn its neglected pavilion into a thriving community hub.
With the aid of British Gypsum’s plasterboard, the club has doubled the size of its pavilion and built a comfortable, cost-efficient kitchen, changing area and social space.
The renovation means better facilities for players, new opportunities for community events, and a hope that it will encourage more local people to play cricket.
Set up around 80 years ago, the team evolved into a popular village club, with many people travelling from surrounding areas to join. Due to storm damage, and the frail nature of the pavilion – which was previously used as a fishing shack – the rebuild called for major upgrades including a new roof.
After years of failed attempts to renovate the club’s facilities, funding from Sport England and Eden District Council, as well as fundraising by the cricket club, finally raised the £40,000 needed to complete the refurbishments this autumn.
The cricket club can now host regular games, welcome more visitors, and has opened up the space to the local community.
James Farmer, chief grant team leader at Temple Sowerby Cricket Club, said: “It has been a huge team effort building this project, using local suppliers and local firms from the village where we can, such as electricians and plasterers – as well as having the plasterboard materials donated from British Gypsum.
“We have worked tirelessly over recent years to upgrade the old, tired pavilion and finally, we have a welcoming and much-improved space to host players, families, and people from our local community.
“As a club, we feel immensely proud of this achievement. Following the pandemic, we saw a real drop in people playing the sport. I only hope our renovated facilities will encourage more people to play and get involved in local cricket, reigniting the passion in many.”
