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For more information please contact Wendi Bolton (Pool CC & West Yorkshire Women & Girls Association ) or Sarah Pickford (Vice-Chair Yorkshire Women’s Cricket Association) Entrepreneurs Feel The Force As Yorkshire Club Is Rewarded For Their Efforts Yorkshire Women’s Cricket Association (YWCA) is delighted to announce that Yorkshire Club, Pool CC came out as a winner in the latest Episode of ‘Fortune: Million Pound Give Away’, walking away with a stunning £18,000. The money, awarded to the club following a pitch made to a panel of millionaires as part of ITVs ‘Fortune: Million Pound Giveaway’ programme will go towards completing a long-delayed scheme to create new changing rooms that will be able to accommodate women and also include disabled access. It is hoped that these facilities will support the already thriving sports scene in the local area. According to Tony Bowry, YCB Cricket Development Manager (West Yorkshire) and West Yorkshire Women & Girls Association President: “This money will be boosted by another £20,000 from the local Councillors and £5,000 raised by the Clubs efforts. This should also help secure the club a place in the Premier Ladies Cricket League and the long-term development of cricket for Women and Girls at Pool Cricket Club.” For Pool Pumas it will mean a more secure future at the club and will allow them to grow and expand attracting more girls from across the local area. The programme was aired on ITV on Tuesday 30th January between 8 and 9pm and was watched in the clubhouse by the majority of members of Pool CC. A number of parents and players made comments about the whole experience. Julie Fletcher sat in the audience and was impressed by the professionally delivered pitch: “They all performed to perfection, giving all the right answers and pulling at the heart strings. One of the girls had a pack of homemade Christmas cards, which the girls had made to raise funds, tucked down the front of her pads. At just the right time she pulled them out and sold them to the Executive Producer for £10! What a result!! We have certainly drunk a bit of champagne to celebrate – lemonade for the younger ones. Work can now commence on the changing rooms and will hopefully be completed by the start of the new season.” Jayne Briggs was one of the parents who was coerced into leading the pitch to the panel: “It is amazing really as we took each stage on its own merit and never really expected to go further. Each time was more nerve racking especially as we realised we were stepping closer to our goal. I have to say that having experienced the ‘star’ life I think I’ll stick to washing the whites and baking cakes! We were obviously all delighted with the final outcome in London and are amazed with what we had achieved for the club, the new facilities will be wonderful for all club members especially the girls who have had to make do with sub-standard facilities. Now, like the girls, our facilities will be second to none.” Katie Briggs who plays for Pool said: “It was a very long and exciting day but we were delighted to receive five out of five votes from the judges. No one at the club can wait until we get to play on the ground with our new facilities and we are particularly looking forward to the proper toilets!!” Naomi who is relatively new to the club stated: “I haven’t been at Pool long but I would be devastated if any of my friends had to leave the club as it would feel like losing part of my family. The money we have been given means we can get better facilities so that hopefully we can all stay together.” The person who instigated the whole thing by making that initial phone call, Wendi Bolton, who is Child Welfare Officer at Pool CC said: “‘We met at the clubhouse to watch the show and even though most of us already knew the result everyone was on tender hooks as the whole club watched the show together. Watching it on TV brought all the feelings back and by the end of the programme the tears were flowing again. The girls were dancing around the clubhouse and we ended up just having one big party. It is only now that we are starting to realise what has been achieved and just what this money will really mean for the club. Without it we would not have good enough facilities to meet league requirements and if we couldn’t play in the higher leagues some of our top players would have had to consider moving to another club to gain the right level of competition. Hopefully this will no longer be the case and we will be able to grow and develop as a club retaining the players we have worked with since they started playing cricket. Our goal is to eventually play in the Premier League, which is an ambitious target, but now at least we have a better chance of achieving it.” So what now for Pool CC…put their feet up and bask in the glory with a big grin on their face? Well Wendi has allowed herself a bit of luxury having booked her first family holiday in 5 years, to Barbados, to watch the cricket of course (if she can get tickets)…but apart from that it is back to business as usual… The next instalment at Pool CC is the clubs’ ECB Natwest CricketForce project that will involve club members erecting notice boards for different sections of the club to be able to post information about what is happening for all to see, putting up fencing around the memorial garden that was created as part of Natwest CricketForce 2006 and the small job of extending the scoreboard. But...that is not all! Part of the purpose of Natwest CricketForce is to attract funding to support the work of the club. This years’ attempt by the Pool Pumas involves the girls playing a number of cricket matches (x3) and a football match for which they will be sponsored. Great idea but nothing really stunning…until you find out that the first match will be in Dublin, the second in Amsterdam, third in Finland before returning to Pool for the football match! Makes you tired just thinking about it!! Some of the funds raised will go to the Lord Mayors Appeal in Leeds. It just goes to show that if you help yourself others will help you too…and in a line from the ‘Fortune’ TV show, ‘If you don’t ask, you don’t get!’ There is no doubt that Pool CC with their committed volunteers will ‘go on getting’ for the foreseeable future, and most importantly having fun whilst doing it! The challenge is now there to other clubs in the region to continue seeking out their own innovative ways of attracting funding to improve the standard of provision for cricket in their local area and across the County. Next stop…Natwest CricketForce 2007! Quotes: Andrew Watson (YCB Director of Development) commented: "The YCB congratulate Pool CC on their magnificent achievement. The West Yorkshire Women & Girls Development Group was born out of Pool CC and the club's desire to develop women and girl's cricket. The club is now ready to start their women's team following after many years developing their junior girls section. The club is at the forefront of girls' development in the county, with many girls playing at district and county level. The club received CCDF funding 3 years ago to improve their square and practice facilities. We hope that the £18,000 received from ‘Fortune: Million Pound Giveaway’ will enable them to provide better changing facilities and linking with NatWest Cricket Force Weekend to produce an outstanding combined project." Sarah Pickford – YWCA Vice Chair said: “This is an amazing achievement by Pool and the money will help to make a huge impact on women & girls’ cricket at Pool, allowing the club to grow and thrive, but will also make the club somewhere that other teams want to visit and play at because of the improved facilities. We hope that Pool will continue to share their experiences with other clubs across the county and encourage them to follow their lead. Pool CC is one example of how taking the time to encourage women and girls to get involved in the game can have a wide ranging and positive impact on a cricket club and we would strongly encourage all clubs to consider how they could do the same.” Stewart Regan – CEO Yorkshire County Cricket Club: " On behalf of everyone at The Yorkshire County Cricket Club can I say how delighted we are with the news that Pool CC have been awarded £18,000 for new facilities following their appearance on ‘Fortune: Million Pound Giveaway’ They are an inspiration to all other local clubs who find themselves with run-down facilities and a need for investment. The team, led by Wendi Bolton have got off their backsides and gone out to get the money they need to deliver their plan. It is great news and we commend their innovative approach to fund-raising which typifies the true Yorkshire values - passion for what you are doing, pride in what you are offering, determination to succeed and a genuine desire to do the best for your community." To get in touch with Pool CC or the Yorkshire Women’s Cricket Association (YWCA) about this matter please contact Wendi Bolton (Pool CC) on 07789 4290224 or Sarah Pickford (YWCA) on 07900 193744, or alternatively email: sarahpickfordssco@hotmail.com Note to Editors: To organise an interview with anyone from Pool CC please contact Wendi Bolton via the contact details listed. Any contact with under 18s is subject to the ECB ‘Safe Hands’ Policy and YWCA Child Welfare Guidelines. The YCB website is at www.ycb-yca.org.uk Pool CC Senior team won the White Rose League in 2006 and progress to play in the Northern League for the 2007 season. A team will also play in the Nidderdale Evening League and the juniors play in the Airedale Junior League Competitions. The District Associations or Cricket Development groups for Women & Girls are currently in place in North, South, East and West Yorkshire and are responsible for running the District squads and supporting grassroots development. Pool CC are linked to the West Yorkshire Women & Girls Cricket Association, see www.westyorkshirewomen.play-cricket.com/home/home.asp The Yorkshire Women’s Cricket Association (YWCA) as part of the Yorkshire Cricket Board (YCB), is responsible for running all County Age Group and Senior Squads for Women & Girls and supporting and advising District Associations and clubs on grassroots development. For more info on YWCA please go to www.yorkshirewca.co.uk Further details on Women’s Cricket can be found via the ECB website www.ecb.co.uk or through one of the Women’s Regional Cricket Managers (WRCMs) on the following contacts: North Pauline Peel 07799 477759 pauline.peel@durhamccc.co.uk Pool CC are part of the ECB Natwest CricketForce programme which encourages cricket supporters, their friends and families to give something back to their local community cricket club by volunteering to undertake major renovations to clubhouses and grounds. The 2007 event takes place on the weekend of March 30 - April 1. Further information can be found on the ECB website (www.ecb.co.uk) or via the NatWest CricketForce help desk at natwestcricketforce@ecb.co.uk. Information on the show ‘Fortune: Million Pound Giveaway’ can be found on the ITV website www.itv.com/page.asp?partid=7130 or by contacting the ITV Press Office Photos of the show are available through Alex Croxford at Fever Media. Please note that there is a cost and photos cannot be accessed immediately. Please contact Alex on 0207 4285747. Any use of pictures showing those aged under 18 is subject to ECB ‘Safe Hands’ Policy and YWCA Child Welfare Guidelines. For more information please contact Wendi Bolton (Pool CC & West Yorkshire Women & Girls Association ) or Sarah Pickford (Vice-Chair Yorkshire Women’s Cricket Association) |
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