Newcastle City Cricket Club’s men’s first XI is playing its first ever season in the top tier of the regional cricket pyramid after winning promotion to Division One of the North East Premier League last year.
As part of making the step up, the club had to make a number of improvements to the facilities at its Broadway West ground in Kenton, including buying a new set of sightscreens, which are required for matches at this level.
The club used a £2,000 grant from the Banks Group to bring in the sightscreens, which have helped it reach a mid-table position after the first six games of the new season.
Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, Newcastle City Cricket Club moved to its current home in 1990 and currently has around 200 members.
As well as running six senior weekend sides, the club also has junior sides running right through the age groups, launched its first girls’ team last year and is hoping to set up a women’s team this season.
It is also working towards putting new net practice facilities in place, which it hopes to have open for use later in the summer.
Omar Ahmed, chairman at Newcastle City Cricket Club, says: “The club has been on a real upward curve over recent seasons and we’re aiming to keep that going as we find our way in the top tier of North East club cricket.
"The new facilities we’re developing will be available to every one of our teams and will help us provide new opportunities to all our players, as well as to hopefully attract even more members to the club.
"We’ve did lots of fundraising to cover the cost of our step up, as well as to ensure we can keep providing all the training and playing opportunities we offer to our growing junior section, and the response we’ve had from businesses and individuals has been fantastic.
“Buying the sightscreens represented a big capital outlay for us, so we’re really grateful to the Banks Group for stepping in and enabling us to get them on site in time for the new season.”
The Banks Group is the business behind the nearby Kingston Village development, which will see around 900 new family homes being built on a 49-hectare site to the west of Brunton Lane, while it is also seeking planning permission for a further 74-home development at West Brunton, within the boundaries of the Newcastle Great Park.
Jamilah Hassan, community relations manager at the Banks Group, adds: "Newcastle City Cricket Club is a fantastic example of everything that a community sports club should be and offers so many opportunities to players of all ages.
“Banks is a long-term supporter of grassroots cricket right across the North East and we’re very pleased to be able to help Newcastle City bring in the new sightscreens they needed for their first Premier League season.”
The Banks Group’s community funds are independently managed by Point North (formerly the County Durham Community Foundation).
Anyone from a community close to a Banks Group project who is interested in applying for funding from the Banks Community Fund should contact the company via its website enquiry form to find out if their group or project is eligible.