The idea
Hanborough Cricket Club is one of the many great things about Long Hanborough and after coming close to closure during Covid, the club is thriving once again. From just a handful of players and almost no equipment, we now field two senior teams with players aged 18 to 70.
This year we are taking our biggest step forward by launching our first youth programme through the ECB All Stars Scheme, with growing interest in junior and women’s cricket. However, there is one major obstacle holding us back; we don’t have a permanent practice net.
A permanent, safe, all-weather cricket net would transform what we can offer. It would be open not just to club members, but to the wider community - giving young people, families and casual players a free, local space to be active, or simply enjoy sport in a welcoming environment.
The net will be long-term infrastructure with a low environmental impact and a free, accessible and inclusive space for the community.
What we'll deliver
- Install a safe, durable, all-weather cricket net at Hanborough Cricket Club
- Open the facility for use by the whole community
- Manage and maintain the nets to provide long term accessibility
- Transform unused land into a community active facility
- Hanborough Cricket Club would be enabled to run structured sessions for juniors
Why it's a great idea
• Provide a long-term sporting asset for a growing local population
• Deliver huge benefits to the community for generations to come
• Offer all-year-round access to safe structured cricket activity
• Promote health, well-being, and social inclusion across all age groups
• Support mental health and active lifestyles
• Free and accessible
• Enable youth, women's and disability-inclusive sport
• Low environmental impact
• Transform unused land into an active community space
• Improve access to outdoor activity
• Secure the future of the club as a local hub for cricket
• Strengthen community identity and village life
• Great infrastructure for a junior cricket programme
• Provide a safe, consistent environment for coaching and skill development
• Encourage young people to engage in sport locally, close to home
• Use permeable surfaces to reduce flooding and improve drainage
• Protect the future of cricket in a growing village
• Support the development of the cricket club
Steps to get it done
- Raising the funds
- Building the net facility
- Completion of the Project
