Latest NatWest CricketForce email update - March 31

This is a copy of the email sent to all registered NatWest CricketForce 2005 club contacts on March 31 2005

Dear NatWest CricketForce 2005 registrant - here's the final email news and info bulletin from the CricketForce team before the big weekend!

Firstly, thank you from ECB for your enthusiasm and commitment to participating in the NatWest CricketForce 2005 event.

This is the largest cricket club volunteering event ever with an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 volunteers gathering at more than 660 clubs to build, paint and renovate a variety of club facilities.

May we wish you a successful weekend and one that will leave a lasting legacy for your members and the local community.

Post-event Evaluation

One of the final bits of pre-event planning you should do is to look at the post-event evaluation form ECB has put together - which we'd like all recipients to complete as soon as possible after your NatWest CricketForce 2005 event.

It can be found at CricketForce Evaluation

This information is vital to us to try to secure future funding/resources for club cricket - so please do complete it, and don’t underestimate it’s importance. If you look at it before your event it'll help you make sure you are able to gather all the information required as you go along.

The form will go live for submissions on Monday morning, April 4.

As an extra incentive - all clubs completing the evaluation form will be entered into a prize draw to win one of three bats signed by the England ODI squad that toured Zimbabwe and South Africa during the winter!

The draw will be held on May 10 2005, and we'll notify the lucky winners shortly after, and post details on ecb.co.uk.

Thanks for your help with the evaluation - and good luck in the bat draw!

NatWest CricketForce news

We've put together some pre-event features on various clubs, and carried some general news items from the emails you've sent us. Check out the news section

And don’t forget to have a look back there after the weekend as we'll be putting together as much coverage as we can.

Any great news pre or post-event - email us at cricketforce@ecb.co.uk

Your last-minute checklist

Have you:

• taken care of all health and safety issues? See here for details
• Informed all local press and media and invited them to attend? Have your own cameras ready as a safeguard – digital cameras are ideal to send photos to the press. You should take before and after shots to give/send to the press/magazines/newsletters etc.
• Contacted all club members and local community groups/members? Last-minute phone calls are worth doing as reminders.
• Invited local businesses, Local Authority, volunteer agencies and other community groups to attend?
• Invited special/important guests? (e.g. Mayor, MP’s, local celebrities, CDO, County Cricket Board, important community leaders, past players/members etc)
• Considered making a video diary? This can be submitted to us up to April 11. See here for details
• Considered producing your own newsletter following the weekend to capture a permanent record of all that has happened and distribute to all and sundry
• Don't forget that following the weekend each of the first 500 clubs that registered will be receiving a commemorative plaque to fix to your club - which could provide another good photo opportunity in due course.

That's all from the CricketForce Team for now - have a great weekend, and good luck!

cricketforce@ecb.co.uk