VILLAGE cricketers are celebrating after their online appeal smashed through its target, helping to raise thousands of pounds towards new facilities.
Raby Castle CC raised more than £15,000 through the Crowdfunder appeal, which will cover the costs of installing electricity to the pavilion.
The appeal, which ran for just 56 days, is part of a larger £200,000 scheme to modernise the outdated 43-year-old timber pavilion, build a new storage shed for ground equipment and install new all-weather net facilities.
Initially the club, which is based in the grounds of Raby Castle, at Staindrop, aimed to raise £7,500 via the appeal, with match funding of £5,000 from Sport England.
Club secretary Steve Caygill said: “In the end, we raised £10,522 from our supporters, with another potential £1,724 in Gift Aid, and the £5,000 match funding.
“The feedback I received on our campaign was terrific. Apparently, it is one of the most successful and well organised. We raised 24 per cent more than our initial target and we had 147 individual supporters.”
Mr Caygill said a “massive thank you” to those who have backed the appeal.
“At the start of the campaign, I was confident we would reach our initial target, given the support the club enjoys in the local community and particularly the level of parental support we receive for our junior section,” he said.
“We mainly got money from local businesses and club supporters but there were a few donations from people I don’t know from around the country.
“I’d like to say a massive thank you to every single person or business who contributed to our appeal – they have all been so incredibly generous.”
A planning application has now been submitted to Durham County Council for the full revamp of ground facilities.
“We are anticipating that it will be six to eight weeks before we get the thumbs up,” he said.
“Our architect is now busy preparing the technical design information for us to go out to tender with the aim of starting work on the pavilion early in the new year.”
Meanwhile, fundraising for the club is continuing.
Mr Caygill said: “We have continued to receive donations and prize offers from local businesses in support of the overall project and we would love to hear from anyone else who would like to help.
“We now have a number of terrific awards that we are planning to raffle at some point in the near future.”
