ECB announce record funding
The England and Wales Cricket Board has announced a £30million investment in facilities and in club cricket, the most significant injection of funding ever in cricket in England and Wales.
The board of the ECB has approved the five-year strategy subject to detailed plans for the implementation of each section of the strategy to commence in 2008.
At their meeting at Loughborough on January 23 the plan also received the unanimous support of the first-class counties.
Incorporated within the finance strategy are the following projects:
• £14 million of ECB grant aid to 2,000 community clubs
• A 50 percent subsidy to 10,000 Level 1 and 2 coaches qualifying through Level 1 and 2 courses and investment in conversion courses to Level 3 and 4
• A doubling of interest-free loans to community clubs to £10m
• £9m in grants for international standard floodlighting at all county headquarter grounds
• £6m for installation of Lord's style drainage at all international venues with subsequent roll-out to all counties
• Coaching contracts for England women’s team players to support Chance to Shine and county board initiatives
• A doubling of Chance to Shine funding to enhance cricket in schools amounting to a total value of £5m
• £5m for county venues to achieve model status in each category of the ECB facility plan by 2011
• Differential fee payments to category C venues
• £1m capital investment in the National Performance Centre at Loughborough to maintain world leading status
• Preferential loans to category A and B venues to leverage further capital investment in world class venues
• Annual scholarships to 36 young English cricketers to benefit from playing in overseas conditions
• £1m to support county board operations
• Enhanced performance-related pay including rewards for crowd management
David Collier, the ECB Chief Executive, underlined the scale of the ECB investment. In introducing the five-year financial strategy, David commented, “Building Partnerships has proven to be a robust and successful strategy for the development of
New Sports Minister is appointed
Leigh boy becomes Minister for Culture, Media and Sport
ANDY Burnham has been appointed as the new Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. He was previously Chief Secretary to the Treasury after serving as Minister of State for Delivery and Reform at the Department of Health.
He was educated in Merseyside and gained an MA in English at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. He entered Parliament in June 2001 as MP for Leigh and has served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to David Blunkett at the Home Office, and to Ruth Kelly at the Department for Education and Skills. He was also a member of the Health Select Committee from 2001 to 2003.
Earlier in his career, he worked as a researcher for Tessa Jowell MP and for the NHS Confederation. Other past roles include
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Administrator for the Football Task Force and Special Adviser to Chris Smith at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in 1998.
Jennie Price, Chief Executive of Sport England, said “We welcome the appointment of Andy Burnham MP as the new Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. We know he is a strong supporter of sport and we look forward to working with him to further enhance community sport in England.”
cricket at all levels.”
“In 2007 participation levels grew by a remarkable 27 percent overall and 45 percent in the women’s game. At the same time Chance to Shine has captured the imagination of schools and children throughout the country.”
“However, the report clearly identified that investment in facilities must be a key priority if these gains in participation levels are to be sustainable.”
“The plan invests in county club facilities at all levels to create model venues at each headquarter venue.”
“A clear strategy for floodlit cricket will allow one-day matches, in particular 50-over cricket, to be played in spectators’ leisure time which was a key message arising from the market research.”
“These investments are additional to the incremental £7million which counties will receive in fee payments over and above the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2005.”
“The remarkable success of the ground drainage installed at Lord’s was witnessed last summer and the ECB will offer similar drainage through grants to all our international category A
ECB Chief Executive
and B venues while category C venues will benefit from differential fee payments.”
“Coaching at all levels is a major winner in this finance plan while successful England teams will benefit from scholarship awards, enhanced facilities at the National Cricket Performance Centre and elite coaching programmes. And for the first time England Women’s cricketers will be offered coaching contracts in support of Chance to Shine and county board activities.
“This is a plan which benefits all levels of the game. It would not have been possible without the outstanding support of our sponsorship and media partners as well as the venues which have generated enhanced income from major matches.”
www.ecb.co.uk for full details E-Z-come for Steve
Gloucester Harlequins Cricket Club Groundsman wins E-Z-GO prize
DURING January Pitchcare were offering existing members, new members and subscribers to our magazine the opportunity to get their names in the hat to win a brand new E-Z-Go Utility Vehicle, courtesy of Ransomes Jacobsen.
Selina Noton, Communications and Promotions Manager with Ransomes Jacobsen, did the honours and drew out the winning names shortly after the closing deadline.
The winner of the main prize is Steve Speke of Gloucester Harlequins Cricket Club. Steve is the club’s Youth Team manager, but has been a player with them for over 30 years. For the last six years Steve has also been assisting with the maintenance of the grounds.
A formal handing over of the prize will be made by Ransomes Jacobsen in early March.
There were also three runners up prizes of a bottle of champagne, which went to:
David Collier
Tommy Wood from Halifax Dave Scott of Mid Devon Howard Sykes of Huddersfield
Our congratulations to all the winners and our sincere thanks to all other members for taking part.
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