Inclusive cricket club in Mansfield is bowled over by donation

Wellow Exiles has received a cash injection of £300 from Mansfield Building Society’s community support scheme.

The funds will go towards buying new equipment, enabling the club, which was formed more than 30 years ago, to continue its good work.

Andrew Bunting, secretary and treasurer, said: “As a club, we endeavour to be as inclusive as possible.

"That includes doing all we can to make the sport accessible to players from all walks of life.

"For a variety of reasons, many of our players are not in a position to have their own kit.

"So this donation enables us to replace items such as well-worn sets of pads and other kit, allowing us to continue lending them to players.”

The Exiles do not have their own headquarters or their own ground where they play their home matches during the summer.

Instead they use various local grounds across the district, which means they have amassed players from not only Mansfield but also places such as Bilsthorpe, Edwinstowe and Ollerton.

However, it is renowned as a friendly club, not just for the players on the pitch but also for their families off it.

And when it applied for a donation from The Mansfield’s scheme, the company was only too pleased to oblige.

Richard Crisp, The Mansfield’s commercial development executive, said: “Our community support scheme is there to back the aims of groups just like Wellow Cricket Club.

"The club widens the net of accessibility across our heartland area.

"This donation is a win for the club and our local communities. We are proud to support the club’s flexible approach towards helping its players and families.”

Since the community support scheme was set up in 2008, The Mansfield has donated more than £160,000 to worthy causes.

Clubs, charities or community organisations that are looking for money to help fund projects are invited to apply for help.

For more information on the scheme, go online and visit mansfieldbs.co.uk/community-support-scheme