Epping Cricket Club celebrated its biggest funding award for decades with a raft of equipment for its colts section.
In 2008 the club received £9,750 from the Awards for All scheme. The amount was specifically requested by the club to rejuvenate the club's colts or youth section and integrate more with the local community.
The club showed its commitment to being the provider of the best youth cricket coaching programme in Epping by using the funding to provide a raft of new equipment. Youngsters at the club will benefit from a new bowling machine, practice batting ends and pitches, a catching cradle and a wide array of new equipment for use by the colts.
The club also used Awards for All money to run a successful open day in conjunction with Epping Sports Club in May 2008 and and pay qualified coaches to train youngsters who turned up on the day. The initiative is already bearing fruit with almost 40 youngsters now attending Friday evening coaching sessions with head coach Russell Johnson.
All youngsters coming through the colts system stand the chance of playing cricket at the highest level in Epping, with the club long-standing members of the number one league in Essex - Shepherd Neame.
Club chairman Geoff Maynard said: "There have been miraculous things happening at the club in the last couple of years.
"Thanks to the hard work of our committee we have received the biggest grant for the club in my 25 years here.
"The money is being put to good use to develop the best youth cricket in Epping.
"The youngsters are our priority as we know they are the adult players of the future.
"We have an excellent coach in Russell Johnson and our colts manager Dan Sly has worked wonders to resurrect youth cricket at Epping."
If anyone is interested in joining Epping Cricket Club as a junior or adult member please contact Geoff Maynard on geffmaynard@sky.com
May 2008: Our colts and colts managers receive the new equipment provided by the Awards for All grant.