Partner Article

Ballinger Cricket Club bowled over by donation

A Buckinghamshire cricket club will be introducing more girls to the sport after being a winner of a special community initiative run by a leading housebuilder.

Ballinger Waggoners Cricket Club was selected as one of Persimmon Homes Thames Valley’s Community Champions, a scheme that awards £1,000 to further the charity’s work within the community. The project sees a pot of £24,000 donated to local groups and charities.

Nigel Kerry, junior section chairman at Ballinger Waggoners, said: “The club has been working tirelessly over the last two years to encourage more girls to become involved in cricket.

“We now have 40 girls in the club’s junior section and the donation from Persimmon will help us to provide more coaching for these girls, including indoor sessions this winter. It will also enable us to work in schools in the area, providing more opportunities for girls to take part in the sport.”

Ballinger Waggoners has been going from strength to strength in recent times with the club’s under 13s girls team being awarded the coveted CMJ Spirit of Cricket Award, with the prize including a trip to Lord’s cricket ground and an interview on national radio.

Martyn Clark, Managing Director at Persimmon Homes Thames Valley, said: “We are delighted to select Ballinger Waggoners Cricket Club as one of our Community Champions, allowing them to expand their club and get more girls involved in cricket.

“Persimmon Homes Thames Valley has had a fantastic response to its Community Champions scheme and it is always a tricky task to pick our winners each month.

“If applicants were unsuccessful last month, we urge them to visit the Persimmon Homes website and to try again and hopefully they will become our next Community Champion.”

Community Champions is a year-long programme with £750,000 to be spread across the housebuilder’s 25 regions. Groups and charities who have already worked hard to raise funds themselves can apply for match funding of up to £1,000.

To apply for funding, visit www.persimmonhomes.com/charity

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ross Watson .