Cricket club bowled over by donation

A cricket club that has been playing in Kent since 1863 has been given a helping hand to complete the refurbishment of their club house from Persimmon Homes.

Rolvenden Cricket Club has invested £50,000 in renovating their traditional weatherboard HQ to create a more hospitable base for members and visitors alike.

The clubhouse was originally built in 1928 and had been showing signs of age, spurring members on to completely renovate the space.

A new modern kitchen has been installed, the changing rooms and toilets upgraded and disabled facilities added.

The club, which plays at the heart of the village, applied to Persimmon Homes’ Community Champions scheme for a grant to support with the final stages of the works and were awarded a donation of £5,000.
The final stages will include creating a women’s changing space and shower room at the rear of the building where lawnmowers are currently stored, and building an extension to store the machinery.

Peter Garrott, Treasurer, said: “We would like to thank Persimmon Homes' for the £5,000 donation, it really does make a significant difference to a small village club.

“This money means we can push forward with the next stages of this project.”

Chris Lewis, Technical Director for Persimmon Homes South East, handed over the cheque and said: “The cricket club are at the heart of the community here in Rolvenden, and plays an important part in the history of the village.

“It is a pleasure to be able to support them as they transform their facilities for the next generation, allowing the tradition to continue.”

The Community Champions initiative was established by Persimmon Homes in 2015 and in the last five years alone it has seen over £120,000 donated to good causes across the South East region.