Community Club Development Fund
New facilities at Mansfield Hosiery Mills CC as a result of a CCDF grant In April 2002, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced new funding for the development of sports facilities in England. The ECB – along with the LTA, RFU and FA – has been allocated £9.4 million to spend on the improvement of facilities at strategically important community cricket clubs over a three-year period.
The ECB, working closely with Sport England, has taken a strategic approach to the distribution of this money, based on the principles contained in the ECB Development and Facilities Strategies.
The ECB has agreed with Government and Sport England that the money should be directed into the following priorities:
- Focus Clubs
- Premier League Clubs
- District Indoor / Outdoor Centres
Eligible projects that are considered are:
Outdoor Facilities
- fine turf (pitches, outfields, drainage and grass practice)
- non-turf pitch/net systems
Indoor Facilities
- indoor practice (tracking, netting, lighting, playing surfaces)
- communal facilities (changing rooms, shower blocks, small extensions)
The overall aims of the programme are:
- To assist in creating a sustainable and financially viable sports club infrastructure in England that links with schools, provides appropriate support and pathways for identifying and developing talent individuals and meets the needs of local communities
- To increase club membership levels among young people and to support the development of quality-assured junior sections of clubs
- To increase club membership among women, black and other ethnic groups and people with disabilities
New CCDF-funded facilities at Mansfield Hosiery Mills CC ECB Club Development Manager, Dave Leighton, said: "Around 180-200 clubs are likely to benefit from the scheme, which will make a significant impact on facilities at the chosen clubs.
"We hope the success of this scheme will lead to increased funding for cricket clubs via the government in future."
In order to access funding, clubs have to have an ECB-approved 10-year development plan. For projects up to £50,000 clubs need to contribute a minimum of five per cent of the total funding; for projects over £50,000, clubs must contribute a minimum of 50 per cent of the total cost.
