A CRICKET club has outlined a core development plan which will strive to make its premises a 'community hub' for years to come.
Toft Cricket Club, which was founded in 1928 and has seen its membership rise above 400 in recent years, will look to offer its outstanding facilities to local bodies, schools, and sports clubs.
And as summer approaches the club believes a bright future lies ahead, with the promise of a new pavilion adding another string to the its bow.
Chairman of Toft CC Nigel Muirhead explained: “At the heart we are a cricket club. But we also want to play a big role in the local community.
“So, Toft CC can stand for two different things: cricket club and the community club.
“The idea is that we want to be accessible and open to everyone, and to ensure that future generations can enjoy our facilities irrespective of age, gender or where they are from.
“We’ve just appointed a new community development manager who will look at our vision, our core development plan and how to schedule our fundraising activities as we move towards our centenary in 2028.”
The charitable arm of the club is also set to be in full flow this summer as The Toft Taverners gear up for another season in 2022.
The side, who have raised money to help Knutsford’s older generations for over half a century, will invite both members and non-members to the club on Thursday nights to enjoy their hospitality.
Nigel said: “Our Toft Taverners charity side play around 20 to 25 fundraising matches a year against local businesses, and their contributions go towards taking Knutsford’s elderly residents to Lytham St Anne’s for a day in July.
“Last year we also had a Christmas luncheon where we invited residents from the town and that was a huge success, so we hope to build on this in 2022.”
Alongside their aspirations to strengthen ties with the local community, the club have set out a fundraising schedule for their new pavilion, which was approved by Cheshire East Council last year.
Toft hope to raise £900,000 over three years, after the current clubhouse was deemed unfit for purpose and unable to cater for the growing membership of the club.
“There are many different levels of support we will be looking for”, said Nigel.
“So, for example we have a ‘Buy a Brick’ donation, which is £100 every 12 months for three years, or our ‘Friends of Toft’ which is £1,000 per year.
“We are also holding a Club Community Day on the first day of the season which is Saturday, April 23.
“We are welcoming anyone and everyone down to the cricket club, and we will have a bouncy castle, face painting, tombola, a coconut shy in the nets and a hog roast.”
With the build up to the cricket season in full flow, the club have also announced several key dates for members calendars.
On Friday, April 29, there will be a ‘Past and Present Players Evening’, which will conclude with the announcement of Toft’s best XI of the past 30 years.
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