An incredibly generous donation of £260,000 has been given to Newclose County Cricket Ground in Newport by the son and daughter of the late Brian Gardener.
After a short illness last year, Brian Gardener, the entrepreneur who built Newclose County Cricket Ground, sadly passed away. Since then, under the guidance of his son Martin, there have been lots of positive changes aimed at achieving Brian’s vision to make cricket available to everyone.
The generous donation of £260,000 by Martin and his sister Julie will help ensure a brighter future for cricket on the Island.
Martin says:
“My sister and I wanted to give Newclose County Cricket Ground the best possible start to the year and we hope that this will provide a lasting legacy. It’s also is a tribute to my father to show the love and passion he felt for making cricket accessible to all on the Island”.
Newclose is a gold standard cricket ground that attracts world-class players throughout the season. Together with the Isle of Wight Cricket Board and other Island clubs, notably Ventnor CC and Godshill CC, there’s a varied programme of events, training and coaching aimed at nurturing the talent of tomorrow.
Hugh Griffiths, the Newclose Communications Officer and Volunteer Coordinator has said:
“This year is a really exciting year for us. We are extremely grateful for the donation which will make a huge difference.
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“We are open to all. Anyone can watch the matches for free from the comfort of The Pavilion and the ground can be hired by any company or group of cricketers. We also need people to volunteer on match days, help with the grounds, cut the grass or lend a hand at events – it’s all good fun”.
An active core of volunteers is at the heart of ground and Hugh has been one of the group for the past 5 years, since he retired from his role as Sussex County Cricket Club’s Chief Executive after their County Championship winning years of 2003 and 2006.
Developing The Pavilion business is instrumental for long-term financial sustainability. The Pavilion is a convenient event location with ample parking making it perfect for business conferences and meetings. There’s WiFi throughout and room for 100 delegates conference style. Several other rooms are perfect for breaking out into smaller groups. Hire fees start from £200 for a half day to £400 for a full day.
Anyone wanting to volunteer at NCCG should contact Hugh by phone on 07768 552682 / 01983 407772 or by email at [email protected].
For more information visit www.newclose.org.
