Swardeston have made a donation to a flood-stricken cricket club in Cumbria.
Chairman Mark Taylor raised the idea at the December committee meeting and it was unanimously approved that a donation of £250 should be sent.
Taylor said: ” I think all of us were taken at how bad the situation was for many cricket clubs after the flooding, particularly those in Cumbria. We just wanted to do our bit to help.”
1st XI vice-captain George Walker contacted his former Leicestershire teammate Paul Nixon, who grew up in Cumbria, to ask which club would benefit.
The former England wicketkeeper, who spoke at the Swardeston annual stag dinner in 2014, recommended Edenhall CC near Penrith, which was his boyhood club.
Nixon said: “What a fantastic generous thing to do, the donation would be amazing. The club that needs a bit of your help would be Edenhall CC. The club is just 400 metres from the River Eden which burst its banks. It was waist deep in the pavilion so your cash will go a long way to help clean up.”
Andrew Gate, from Edenhall CC, said: “From all of us at Edenhall, I would like to pass on our thanks and gratitude for your generous donation. It is totally unexpected and we are very grateful for your offer.
“This flood was higher than the one in 2005 for which we had insurance cover. After the 2005 flood our insurance company hit us with a £20,000 excess which we simply cannot afford, so we took the decision to not renew the policy.
“The structure of the clubhouse is sound but it is the inside, which is timber stud walls and panelling, which will require replacing. We have been in contact with the ECB and there will be funding made available to carry out repairs, whether it covers all the cost we are not sure and will do what we can.
“After the last flood we learnt our lesson and every year after the season ends all the ground equipment is moved to a local farm on high ground to prevent any damage to our mowers and heavy motorised roller.
“The pitch and square require all the silt removing. We have cleaned as much of the debris away as we can and dried out the interior of the building. The kitchen area requires replacing as well as the walls.
“Once again a very big thank you from us all.”
The map below shows the location of the club and the images show the flood at its height and the aftermath of the pitch and road.
