Cricket clubs across Durham have accessed nearly £1million of funding aid during the coronavirus pandemic.
Clubs across Durham secured funding of £951,794 through the Local Authority Small Business Grant, Sport England’s Community Emergency Fund and ECB’s Emergency Loan.
Over 80 per cent of clubs have secured either the Local Authority Small Business Grant or the Sport England Community Emergency Fund, or both.
Seventy-three per cent of cricket clubs in Durham received support from the Local Authority Small Business Grant.
The Small Business Grant supported clubs across the county with funding of £785,000.
Additionally, 44 per cent of clubs have confirmed they have been successful in applying for the Sport England Fund, which has provided clubs with support of £156,794.
Durham Cricket’s Director of Development Graeme Weeks, who has been speaking to clubs individually throughout the lockdown to offer help and advice and ensure clubs are financially secure, said: “It has been our utmost priority from the first week of lockdown to ensure clubs don’t suffer financial hardship as a result of the pandemic and I’m really glad to know that so many of our clubs have secured funds.
“The main initial worries when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, were that we could lose some clubs through either finance issues or player issues. Obviously, the latter is still to be determined, but at least it can be confident our clubs are financially secure for the time being.
“It has been great to speak to clubs individually, discuss their concerns and see some of those concerns relieved after a successful application to the available funding streams.
“The lockdown has created some uncertainty amongst the network but to know that 84 per cent of clubs across Durham have secured financial support means that facilities are protected and so is our game. The remaining 16 per cent of clubs have no current outgoings and have reported no financial worries.”
“The volunteers supporting clubs in this difficult time have been outstanding – they have invested time to apply and protect their clubs and I cannot thank them enough for the proactive work they have been doing.”