Great Horkesley Cricket Club vice captain Paul Hart (right) and groundsman David Walker with the club’s new engine-driven roller purchased with the aid of an EDF Energy Networks grant.
08 July 2010
Things are looking up for Great Horkesley Cricket Club thanks to an EDF Energy Networks grant to help pay for a new engine-driven roller, after the club’s original roller was stolen last year.
The £250 donation was made to the team after EDF Energy Networks manager, avid cricketer and vice captain of the club, Paul Hart applied for a grant under the company’s Team Sport Award scheme.
Cricket club members put their hands in their pockets and generously made up the £150 difference required to secure the 30 year-old reconditioned roller for the club, going on to raise a further £600 to fund an outbuilding to house the new equipment.
According to Paul the energy company donation couldn’t have come at a better time as without a roller, and despite their best efforts, the Nayland Road ground was getting rather worse for wear.
Paul lives at Prettygate in Colchester and has played for Great Horkesley Cricket Club for more than 8 years. He said: “Getting the £250 grant really boosted our coffers. Our club members had already pulled together and raised a lot of money for the project. Thanks to EDF Energy Networks we have been able to purchase a second-hand roller and have sufficient money left over to buy a new outbuilding to keep it in.”
The walk-behind roller has already been put to good use preparing the ground for the 2010 cricket season.
Great Horkesley Cricket Club’s ground is at The Chantry, in Nayland Road, Great Horkesley and the team play in Division Three of the North Essex Cricket League.
EDF Energy Networks’ Team Sport Awards allow staff to apply for a £250 grant for projects that involve the local community. The awards are designed to encourage staff to volunteer in the community and are aimed at promoting healthy living, teamwork and development of sporting opportunities.
Through the energy company scheme, dozens of community and sports groups have benefited from financial assistance. Last year more than £13,000 was donated to sporting groups connected to EDF Energy Networks staff.
As the first sustainability partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games EDF Energy will help ensure London 2012 will be a truly sustainable games, uniting people to address climate changes and leaving a lasting legacy, not just in sport, but through environmental benefits.
ENDS
For further information, contact Jessica Gallagher in the EDF Energy press office on 01473 266484.
Notes to editors:
EDF Energy is one of the UK’s largest energy companies, producing around a fifth of the nation’s electricity from its nuclear, coal and gas power stations, as well as combined heat and power plants and wind farms. The company provides power to a quarter of the UK’s population via its electricity distribution networks and supplies gas and electricity to more than 5.5 million business and residential customers. It is the number one supplier of electricity to major business in the UK.
EDF Energy’s safe and secure operation of its eight existing nuclear power stations at sites across the country makes it the UK’s largest generator of low carbon electricity. EDF Energy is also leading the UK’s nuclear renaissance and has published plans to build four new nuclear reactors, subject to the right investment framework. These new plants would generate enough low carbon electricity for about 40% of Britain’s homes. They would make an important contribution to the UK’s future needs for clean, secure and affordable energy. The project is already creating business and job opportunities for British companies and workers.
Through Our Climate and Social Commitments EDF Energy has launched the biggest environmental and social programme of any UK energy company. EDF is the official energy utilities partner and sustainability partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The company is also helping its customers and others use energy more sustainably through products and initiatives such as Read, Reduce, Reward and Team Green Britain.
EDF Energy is part of EDF Group, one of Europe’s largest power companies. Following the integration with British Energy in 2009, the company employs nearly 20,000 people at locations across the UK.