FACILITIES IMPROVEMENT PLAN (HIGH GROWTH CLUBS)

OVERVIEW

As part of our strategic objectives to end 2023, we have targeted that minimum standards will be established and embedded across the club cricket community reflecting what we all believe is required to constitute an effective club offering to members and visitors covering:

• Non-Playing Facilities
• Playing Facilities
• Officiating
• Governance, Oversight & Management

REGISTRATION ANALYSIS

Cricket Leinster has expanded its registered player base significantly over recent years and this growth has almost exclusively occurred in clubs established within the last 10-15 years, primarily in public park settings.

Clubs operating in Local Authority/Public Park settings now contribute circa 30% of the total adult player base from just 16% in 2017. This confirms that these clubs have grown substantially in both absolute and relative terms. This growth pattern is projected to continue over the next period reflecting the increasing ethnic diversity of Irish society and general demographic trends including access to affordable housing and relative proximity to public transport and the M50.

As the representative body for cricket across Leinster, we have a unique opportunity to support major growth in participation levels by enabling our growth engine clubs to scale in a safe manner with good facilities and an enjoyable playing experience.

INVESTING FOR GROWTH

Over the next 18 months to 2 years, with your support and that of others within the cricket community, we will implement a comprehensive Facilities Improvement Programme in partnership with Local Authorities and a panel of ‘growth engine’ clubs.

This programme will have 5 key components as follows:

1) Local Authority & Political Engagement

As the representative body for cricket in Leinster, we will schedule quarterly meetings with each Local Authority and those clubs which operate within its area. The purpose of these meetings will be to discuss the facilities requirements associated with cricket (Open, Women’s & Youth) and to agree what actions can be taken to achieve an acceptable base standard (which will be defined).

In addition, these meetings will be used to escalate any tactical issues being experienced by the clubs including grass cutting standards, access to the park, vandalism, anti-social behaviour or any other such issues.

We are well placed to undertake this role as we have multi-year ‘development’ agreements in place with all Local Authorities in the Greater Dublin area based on long-standing matched funding programmes.

This component of the programme will also involve a proactive lobbying role with key local politicians within the relevant constituencies aimed at building understanding and support for our priority areas.

2) Grounds Expertise

We will provide ‘growth engine’ clubs (operating in public park settings) with a free-of-charge advisory service in relation to their cricket ground which would include:

• assessment and on-site advice on outfield and artificial surfaces (where applicable)
• assessment and on-site advice in respect of machinery and equipment
• advice on preparation of playing surfaces, pitch marking etc
• advice on improvements and contracting works (if required)

GM By Choice (owned by Dale McDonough) will be engaged to provide this service. GM By Choice is the stand-out performer in this area and has already fulfilled this role for Cricket Leinster on an ad-hoc basis with material success including Airlie Park (new home for Adamstown CC in association with South Dublin County Council).

3) Non-Playing Facilities

Notwithstanding significant and unstinting efforts by the clubs themselves, it is apparent that many of our ‘growth engine’ clubs are operating with sub-standard and/or inadequate non-playing facilities which can include inter alia

• No toilet facilities in proximity to the assigned playing area
• No access to running water
• Little or no changing facilities
• No provision for gender specific requirements
• Little or no shelter

Cricket Leinster will work in partnership with the Local Authorities and the clubs concerned to establish a base standard of non-playing facilities which enable all forms of cricket to be played in a safe and enjoyable manner by all (Open, Women’s and Youth).

This will involve a capital investment for the provision of multi-purpose converted containers capable of addressing all core requirements in a manner which is durable, sustainable and largely vandal-proof.

For Year One, it is intended that these containers would be hired (rather than purchased) and initial costings have been prepared based on a high level assessment of the relevant market.

The supplier will also provide a holding tank for toilets, the largest would be 10x8x18” (3000 litres) which will need to be serviced.

4) Group Sourcing

Whilst the ClubGrant scheme and club fundraising has bridged some of the equipment challenges, there are still many areas where clubs in public park settings would benefit from the provision of additional basic equipment & facilities.

Cricket Leinster will therefore provide a group sourcing solution for key components of a safe and enjoyable cricket club setting to include:

• Bulk rental & distribution of portaloo facilities (weekly throughout the season)
• Purchase & distribution of large water containers
• CL Group Insurance scheme with common covers, cover levels and preferential rates
• CL Group scheme for the purchase of mobile/temporary sight-screens
• Purchase & distribution of CL branded pop-up gazebos (3m x 6m) for shelter
• Purchase & distribution of CL branded inner circle fielding marker discs
• Purchase & distribution of CL branded boundary flags

5) Appointment of Mentors

As the representative body for cricket in Leinster, we are fully committed to ensuring that all clubs can achieve a base standard of both playing and non-playing facilities and that all clubs can achieve safe and controlled growth within agreed capacity limits.

In this context, each ‘growth engine’ club be provided with a dedicated, experienced and supportive mentor to advise and support their development and who would champion the club within the CL structures (and beyond) in collaboration with the relevant CL Development Officer, CL staff and Committee as appropriate.

Such mentors be chosen on the basis of their profile/credibility within the CL community, their track record in supporting club development and that they are no longer directly involved in the running of any other club.

INVESTMENT PROFILE (TO MID 2024)

It is planned that CL’s investment in the Facilities Improvement Programme would be funded from a combination of patron contributions, philanthropic donations, grant support and some Local Authority funding.

In addition, each club would be expected to sign a multi-year agreement reflecting the nature of our investment and which would include a modest self-funding component.

Note: It is assumed that circa 8-10 clubs qualify for this programme support and the costings have been prepared on that basis.

NEXT STEPS & HOW YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP

If you feel that you would like to contribute to this project, you can do so by one of the following means:

1) Become of CL Facilities Fund Member by making a donation of your choosing on this link:

https://buytickets.at/cricketleinster/708232

2) Make a donation marked ‘CL Facilities Fund’ by credit transfer as follows:

Bank: AIB 40/41Westmoreland Street, Dublin 2.

Account Name: The Leinster Cricket Union CLG

Account Number: 12069071

National Sort Code: 931225

IBAN: IE11 AIBK 9312 2512 0690 71

BIC/Swift: AIBKIE2D

3) Post a cheque to our offices at 13 Sandyford Office Park, Blackthorn Road, Dublin 18

OUR RECIPROCAL COMMITMENT

In reciprocation for your support, you will receive a quarterly report on the progress of the project and this will continue until all committed work is complete.