5  Year Development Plan for Boxmoor Cricket Club – 2016 -2020

Appendix added for August 2017

Mission Statement

Boxmoor Cricket Club (BCC) aims to provide safe, fair and enjoyable cricket for its members, young and old. The club hopes to provide an environment fit for the local community, in which players and social members can develop their cricketing skills, knowledge and friendships.

Introduction

BCC is an established village club in the town of Hemel Hempstead. In 2017 the club celebrates  its 160th anniversary, having played all of its cricket at its current ground “The Oval”, St Johns Road, Boxmoor.

Current Status of BCC

As of 2016, the club currently has an adult playing membership of around 70, a junior membership of around 80 and fields four teams in the Saracens Hertfordshire Cricket League on Saturdays and has two teams on Sundays, one in the Chess Valley League and the other a “Developmental” team consisting mainly of Juniors who play friendlies. 

BCC has its own, purpose built, brick pavilion which includes a lounge and bar, kitchen, two changing rooms, two sets of showers, several storage rooms, scorebox and an external garage for the storage of mowers, rollers, sight screens etc.

The club currently sublets the pavilion to the Gade Valley Harriers Running club and is hired out occassionally for private functions such as birthday, christening parties etc. BCC also has a growing number of social members that use the pavilion during the regular cricket season.

The club, a not for profit organisation, aims to break even financially, on an annual turnover of approximately £20,000, which makes extending the facilities difficult. Much maintenance work in the pavilion is undertaken by club members and an external groundsman is employed for the upkeep of the grounds.

Future aims of BCC

The club recognises that it has come a long way from a perilous financial situation in 2008 but now has a thriving Junior membership and has increased it adult playing memberships and playing teams,  However the club also knows it – and the game itself - is in a transitional stage and the future aims are driven by this playing membership and therefore in 2008 embarked on an ambitious development plan that will, in the next five years, attempt to:

1. Consolidate Saturday 1st and 2ndXI’sin their current divisions with the aim to be playing a divisionhigher (5b and 9a) within 5 years.Recognising that player transistions from Junior to senior may slow.
2. Continue to be in a financially strong position,whilts improving facilities and equipment
3. Transisiton our current girls teams into a Ladies XIwithin 5 years andthat females are fully integrated into our teams based on ability
4. encourage disabled players to participate
5. increase the number of adult playing members to 75
6. improve the facilities at the club – including an electronic scoreboard /umpire and Female changing facilities,disabled acsess and imporvement of current changin facilty internal doors
7. increase the number of social members to over 40

How our aims will be acheived

Central to all of these aims will be the continued development of a comprehensive junior section at Boxmoor CC.

To this end our committee, led by Junior Cricket Manager , is adopting a strategy for developing the junior section within the club including:

1. continue to ensure the best coaching and junior games are provided across our age groups to enable junior development
2. launch a Ladies team for Girls to transistion to at the right time (plus develop girls with the right ability level in our current adult sides)
3. offer a player pathway for juniors, who, if appropriate, are drafted into either Saturday or Sunday senior XI’s

To support this development a number actions will be implemented including:

1. the club maintaining ECB Clubmark status by working with Hertfordshire County Cricket Association (HCCA) when due for renewal
2. securing grants from appropriate sources to finance the Juniors section, to support the development of coaches (particularly a female coach) and equipment purchases
3. Securing grants to support the development of the facilities
4. increase involvement of parents with junior teams and the club
5. improving links with local schools, especially John F Kennedy and Cavendish and our local primary schools
6. Actively contribute to and support local and regional inititaives to develop Cricket
7. increasing relationships with local papers including the Hemel Hempstead Gazette and the Watford Observer

Summary

150 years on from its foundation, BCC is embarking on an exciting 5 year plan. Our vision is to provide a club that allows us to play cricket in a safe and friendly environment, where we can reflect the mix of our community.

Central to this vision is the continued support of the Junior section, the development of the playing and coaching facilities and an increase in our membership. We seek help in our endeavours to keep our noble game of cricket at the Oval, Boxmoor, for the next 150 years.

Summary of activities completed  in 2015/16

The key achievements discussed in the previous 5 year plan that have now been completed include:

1. Junior cricket:
   1. Continued success of the junior section with under 9s, 11s, 13s, 15s playing matches
   2. Three products of our junior section making debuts playing league cricket in the Saturday 1st XI for the majority of the season, 6 Juniors under the age of 16 making the nucleus of the Saturday 2nd XI throughout the season, a number of earmarked u14 juniors playing in our 3rd and 4th XI in league cricket on Saturdays
   3. Refurbishment ofcurrent practise nets, at a cost of £3,000, through Self funding

                       

2. Purchase of rain covers and boundary rope to improve the playing facilities at our main ground at the cost of £2000 through funding from
   1. The Boxmoor Trust
   2. ECB “get the game on”
3. Purchase of CCTV to protect assets at our main ground at the cost of £2000 through funding from
   1. The Boxmoor Trust
   2. Internal funding

    

4. Lydia Greenway (Former England Professional Womens Cricketer) Masterclass with our Junior Girls teams to develop the girls abilty
5. New pavilion manager appointed for day to day and medium term activities
6. Major update to pavilion including new painting work (£2,100), new carpets (£3000) and bar fitted in main pavillion (£700).
7. New mower purchased for preparation of main pitch and area behind pavilion
8. New sponsors for the club – JD Consultancy and Hiller Hopkins

Situation as at August 2017

In addition to good progress against specific Objectives, it’s worth noting that this year the club celebrated it’s 160th annivesary. The celebrations consisted of 4 teams of existing and former players competing in a cricket tournament, along with a BBQ and associated events. This was very well attended by players past and present and their families. The club now has a Press Secretary and reports for all 3 Saturday Teams appear in the local press.

Progress against Key Objectives

Consolidate Saturday 1st and 2nd  XI’s  in their current divisions with the aim to be playing a division  higher (5b and 9a) within 5 years.  Recognising that player transistions from Junior to senior may slow.

All 3 Teams are doing well in their respective divisions. Boxmoor 1s finished mid-table, Boxmoor 2s were promoted as runners up and the 3s avoided relegation

Continue to be in a financially strong position, whilst improving facilities and equipment.

The club has balanced income over expenditure, and has exploited this position to fund considerable Pavilion improvments and a new mower.

Transisiton our current girls teams into a Ladies XI  within 5 years and  that females are fully integrated into our teams based on ability.

3 girls are in the county U15 squad, the Under 13s reached the County final and two  girls are playing regularly in Boxmoor’s 3rd XI. An additonal coach has been recruited for 2018. Discussions with Hemel Hempstead Town CC re future of girls cricket in the area.

Encourage disabled players to participate

No progress to date.

Increase the number of adult playing members to 75

Achieved with establishment of 2 teams on Sundays with mostly different playing membership to Saturdays

Improve the facilities at the club – including an electronic scoreboard /umpire and Female changing facilities,  disabled acess and improvement of current changing facilty internal doors

During the 2016/17 close season we have installed security cameras, new shutters and an electronic scoreboard. Internal improvements to cater for Umpire/Female changing facilities will be completed during the 2017/8 close season. Plans and funding for these are already in place.  

Increase the number of social members to over 40

Achieved: The 100 club has over 200 members. These members raise considerable funds for the club and are have Social Membership included in their package of benefits.