ECB Clubmark gives clubs an opportunity to write and implement new procedures as well as acknowledge existing practices. Cricket clubs are required to present evidence and demonstrate implementation across four different themes, culminating in the production of a Club Development Plan.

The four themes are: • Duty of Care and Safeguarding Children • The Cricket Programme • Knowing your club and its Community – One Game • Club Management

By registering to work towards ECB Clubmark, clubs join a growing number of cricket clubs across England and Wales which are prioritising junior development, creating a benchmark for high quality community club cricket.

Shropshire Cricket Board recognises that Clubmark Accreditation is a key 'Principle Condition' for any Shropshire based club seeking NGB grant aid support and other awarding bodies that require NGB endorsement. Further Clubmark information can be found as an attached document at the bottom of this section. - (TOP)

The Lord's Taverners are accredited by the England & Wales Cricket Board as the official national charity for recreational cricket. Since 1950, The Lord’s Taverners have been raising money to 'give young people, particularly those with special needs, a sporting chance'.

• By providing incentives to play cricket in schools and clubs • By enabling young people with special needs to participate in sporting activities • By supplying minibuses to special needs' organisations • By creating recreational facilities in conjunction with the National Playing Fields' Association

For more information on The Lord's Taverners, their fundraising activities, celebritiy cricket events, membership and making a donation - visit The Lord's Taverners website - (TOP)

The Cricket Foundation is an independent, registered charity (No. 1123385) fully endorsed by the England and Wales Cricket Board. It was established in 1981 and reconstituted in 1996 when the ECB assumed responsibility for managing all cricket in England and Wales. It is answerable to a Board of Trustees and accountable to the Charity Commission.

Until 2005, the Cricket Foundation was responsible for allocating payments to the County Boards on an annual basis across the spectrum of grassroots and youth cricket. Over the past ten years, some £30 million has been invested in this way to create more and better opportunities for young people to play cricket and to learn to play it well.

The Foundation is now concentrating nearly all its efforts on Chance To Shine - the biggest ever school sport development initiative - which aims to bring the educational benefits of cricket to state schools. - (TOP)

The England and Wales Cricket Trust welcomes eligible ECB affiliated cricket clubs with junior sections to consider an interest-free loan to assist in the development of facilities on their ground(s). Whether it is a sightscreen or a changing room* the England and Wales Cricket Trust will allocate interest-free loans to clubs that meet set criteria up to £50,000 with a repayment period of up to five years. Clubs with as little as 25 per cent partnership funding can apply (repayments quarterly throughout the term of the loan).

The scheme is open to any ECB affiliated cricket club (through their County Board) with a junior section who has a passion to be part of a modern dynamic sport development programme and is willing to complete, deliver and update a simple development plan.

To express an interest clubs should submit in writing a brief explanation of their project and an account of their current status regarding junior development to their County Cricket Development Manager.

Application forms will only be issued to cricket clubs that have met set criteria which will be assessed by their Regional Funding and Facilities Manager. - (TOP)

The England and Wales Cricket Board Grant Aid Scheme aims to finance capital projects, including renovations, to improve facilities which contribute to increased participation in cricket. This document is attached to this section. - (TOP)

The aim of this programme is to modernise and open up facilities for community sport. This fund is looking to supportlocal projects developed and delivered predominantly by community and voluntary sector groups. One of the targeted areas of the Inspired Facilities fund is Building Modernisation and Sustainability which covers Rain Water Harvesting Systems, new insulation, high efficiency boilers and more. Read more at the Inspired Facilities website. - (TOP)

Registrations are now open again for NatWest CricketForce, the largest volunteer event throughout England and Wales. The initiative, which is aimed at rejuvenating cricket clubs across the country, continues to go from strength to strength each year and in Shropshire in 2012 in new record of 41 clubs registered and gathered volunteers for a host of different projects.

To register your club please visit the CricketForce website.

There are a multitude of benefits to taking part in NWCF, including the recruitment and development of more club volunteers, generating income during the event (and post) improving facilities, receiving free or reduced cost materials, paint and other resources to improve facilities. There is a history of making clubs who enter into the NWCF programme more cohesive where by members from different sections of the club bond to create a better environment who then have a 'Can Do' attitude to future bigger projects. There is an opportunity for a Shropshire Club to become a Show Case Club in Shropshire in 2013. Official NatWest CricketForce partners can be found on the ECB website - (TOP)

Sportsmatch makes awards to not-for-profit organisations that have secured sponsorship to deliver new community projects for young people (aged 14+) and adults to take up and keep a sporting habit for life.

Sportsmatch uses money from the government to encourage new sponsorship of grassroots community sport. Priority is given to applications seeking to match sponsorship from the commercial sector but donations from private individuals or charitable trusts are also acceptable provided they meet our sponsorship eligibility criteria. Awards of between £1,000 and £100,000 can be made to match funding from no more than five sponsors, with each sponsor contributing a minimum of £1,000.

Before making an application, we suggest you complete the pre-application checklist to help you decide if your organisation, sponsorship and project are eligible for a Sportsmatch award. We would also strongly recommend that you read the rest of the Sportsmatch information on our website or view our Sportsmatch guidance document which explains what Sportsmatch will and will not fund and what makes a good application.

If you need any further advice please phone the Funding Helpline on 08458 508 508 or visit the Sport England website - (TOP)

'Fundrazor'

Tired of the same old fundraising activities? Want something fresh and exciting that cuts out the hard work but delivers a substantial return? Then let fundrazor.com provide you with a stress free approach to raising valuable funds. This company get you cheap tickets for group outings at the dogs, paint balling or horse racing. www.fundrazor.com

'Easyfundraising'

'Easyfundraising' provide a FREE fundraising service where you can raise funds for any charity, trust, school, club, good cause or community group you support when you shop online. Choose from over 600 of the UK's best-known retailers including many popular names such as Next, Argos, Debenhams, John Lewis and HMV, and when you shop using the links on our site up to 15% from every purchase you make is donated to the cause you choose to nominate. It doesn't cost a penny extra to shop and raise funds for your cause using our site, and as many retailers now give extra discounts when you buy online, you can even save money!

Joker Raffle

This is an added extra to your regular Saturday raffle. Start with a board with twenty four cards on all face down with drawing pins through the middle. One of these cards is a joker. Do your raffle as normal for a Saturday and give a prize of a bottle etc. Put some of the money into an ever increasing winners pot.

If the winner of the raffle is present in the club at the time of the draw, they get one go to try to find the joker and thus take the pot. If it goes it goes and you start again. Maybe start the pot with £50. By half way through the season and the prize is maybe £500, it's amazing how many people are staying back at your club to wait for the raffle. Hence more bar revenue. Instances of raising £1,000 a season are not uncommon.

Race Nights

Shropshire Cricket is aware every cricket club needs to raise funds. Race Nights are the most cost effective event you can hold because it can pay for itself. All the Race Nights are fully self contained events, with all the equipment needed to run a very successful Race Night. Generally, experienced comperes will work out all the odds on the night. The only work you need to do is to promote your event and sell the tote tickets on the night.

When you book a Race Night the chosen company will send you a 'Race Pack' which includes all the information you require on how to promote a successful event and how to raise plenty of funds prior to the event. Our fees can be paid out of the funds that are raised therefore the cost of the event to you is NIL.

If your venue has a Big Screen TV which applies to most licensed venues then you can hire our race night package to run your own Race Night event all you require is a DVD Player linked into your big screen TV. The price of the hire is £120.00 delivered and collected for one event.

The fully self contained events (events run by the company for you) on Fridays and Saturdays can always get fully booked so book well in advance to avoid disappointment. As a starter for 10 try this company. www.racenightfilms.net

The Telford & Wrekin Council for Voluntary Service (CVS)

The CVS is an innovative way of channelling funds into local community projects. If you support a voluntary organisation the Telford & Wrekin CVS may be able to help you in a number of ways, such as helping to run your organisation/group or help with legal advice, as well as offering you information about funding that may be available to assist you.

If you are part of a voluntary or community based organisation, you may be eligible to apply for a grant to support the group, service or work you are doing. You can apply for grants at local, national and European level. A basic search on GRANTNet allows you to enter information about your project and provides brief details of suggested sources of funding. Full details can be requested by email too.

Sport England Small Grants Programme

The Sport England Small Grants Programme has been set up to support local community sport projects which seek to increase participation, sustain participation or develop opportunities for people to excel at their chosen sport.

It is open to any bona fide not-for-profit club or association, statutory body or educational establishment, however will not fund individuals or organisations established to make a profit and distribute that profit to members.

• Awards are for amounts from £300 to £10,000 • The total project cost should not exceed £50,000 • Projects must be deliverable within 12 months and provide a monitoring report within 13 months of the date of the offer letter • Projects must seek to increase participation in sport, sustain participation in sport or provide opportunities to excel at a chosen sport • Sporting outcomes must be the main focus of the project. Applications for projects using sport as a means to an end are acceptable, but there must be a clear sporting benefit • Projects must be focused only on sports currently recognised by Sport England and delivered to beneficiaries based in England.

To apply to Sport England Small Grants please click here or for more information contact 08458 508 508.

Awards for All

Lottery grants of £300 to £10,000 to fund projects which involve people in their communities through local groups and activities. The project must meet at least one of the Big Lottery's outcomes, and must be deliverable within 12 months. For more information about enquiries@biglotteryfund.org please contact 08454 102030

Cash for Clubs

Cash for clubs is a sport funding scheme enabling clubs to apply for grants to gain coaching qualifications. Awards can be £250, £500 and £1,000. Applications can be submitted at any time, and grants are awarded on a quarterly basis. For more information contact Cash for Clubs.

Cash 4 Clubs

If you are a sports club and are looking for funding then this might be the place for you. Cash 4 Clubs is a sports fund aiming to support grassroots sports clubs all over the country. We have given away over £30,000 over the past year to deserving sports clubs up and down the country. Now we are stepping up our efforts to spread the fund as far as possible to reach as many worthy sports clubs as possible. - (TOP)