After a long hard slog with the council planning department, plannng permission was finally granted for the 3 lane net practice facility, in the piece of land at the end of the car park. Trees will need to be planted on two sides of the facility to screen it off from the countryside around it. Great news was received on the funding front too, as The ECB kindly agreed to fund much of the cost of the facility, which meant the full amount was raised for the project to go ahead. Many thanks must go to the charities and companies, such as SBS Cumbria ltd. Kendal Lions Club, Lakes Carpet Cleaning, Gilkes, Croppers Community trust, The Anglers In Trust, The Diocese of Cumbria and The Hadfield Trust. All that remains, is to backfill the trench that the water main was diverted through.
The chosen contractor to build the facility is Total-Play. Construction is due to start in January and hopefully finished in January too! This should give plenty of time for the surrounding area to settle and for us to plant the required trees to screen the facility.
Thanks to The Harold Alice’s Bridges Trusts donation of £2,000 and a £500 donation from The Lakeland Limiteds Staff fund, with the help of Vonnie Nelson, we will be able to buy a new Bola bowling machine, stand and feeding arm too. We are hoping to be able to get a second one before the start of the season, as Cumbria County Council kindly awarded us just short of £1,000 from the Community Grants team towards it. The bowling machines will be put to great use when coaching the girls and boys in the new facility. They will provide the batters with precise deliveries over and over again, so the batter can work on a particular shot.
The investment in the clubs infrastructure by constantly updating coaching equipment and facilities, should show dividends in the years to come, by producing more boys and girls to represent the district and county teams at various age groups. Hopefully the new facilities will see a return to better times for the senior teams too, practice sessions promise to be much better and easier than having to roll the old heavy net cage out on to the artificial wicket and having numerous bowlers standing around waiting to bowl.