Club celebrates Olympic cash boost (From The Northern Echo)

Club celebrates Olympic cash boost

11:23am Friday 17th February 2012 in Tyne and Wear News

A LOCAL cricket club has won Olympic legacy funding to improve its ground after winning promotion.

Hetton Lyons Cricket Club, at Hetton-le-Hole, near Sunderland, received £50,000 from Sport England’s Inspired Facilities Fund.

The fund is part of the £135m Places People Play legacy programme and every facility that gets money from it will carry the London 2012 Inspire mark.

The club, which has been promoted to the North-East Premier League, will improve its changing and social facilities and install a new electronic score-board.

Sport England’s chairman, Richard Lewis, said: "This investment will create a fantastic sporting legacy for Hetton.

"This fund has really hit the mark with sports clubs in North-East. It shows we’re offering the legacy that people want for their local community.

"For hundreds of clubs and tens of thousands of people, 2012 will be the year their local sports facilities got better."

Club secretary Richard Grey said: "Our club has been established since 1865 and we have always provided a community service with excellent facilities.

"We are delighted to secure the first Inspired Facilities grant, which will enable us to upgrade our facilities to a high standard and enable us to continue to be a hub of the community.

"Our junior sections are thriving, which is refreshing, and this award will enable us to expand this further.

"We have an excellent relationship with local schools & our facilities are regularly used for the benefit of many youngsters."

Local MP Bridget Phillipson said: "This much-needed injection of cash for Hetton Lyons will help improve their changing rooms and social areas and provide more opportunities for both boys and girls to play cricket."