MEMBERS of a north Durham cricket club are celebrating the completion of improvements to their facilities.

Burnhope Cricket Club, near Stanley, was awarded £35,000 by Sport England and a further £3,000 from the Bernard Sunley Charitable Foundation towards the costs of new toilets.

The club ploughed a further £10,000 of its funds into the project.

Club secretary Eva Stobbs said: “We have had a new extension built, including male and female toilets to replace outside toilets we had and a disabled toilet.

“The extension also has a small room where the players can sit and watch the cricket from.

“The improvements have made a big difference to the club. The lack of facilities meant that parents used to take their children outside the village to play cricket.”

She added: “We are hoping the new facilities will encourage more younger members to come then we can have a junior team. We are also hoping to attract more female members.

The new facility was officially opened by north-west Durham MP Pat Glass, who is a regular visitor to the club.

The club has about 120 members. Its first and second team are both at the top of the North-East Durham League, Mrs Stobbs said.

The club has matches every Saturday, between April and September.