Exciting opportunity for Wanstead Cricket Club to enhance the Olympic experience for Members and the Local Community
Members will be aware that Wanstead is one of the leading cricket clubs in south east England, providing cricket for members of all playing ability from the age of 6 onwards. We practice an entirely inclusive policy and provide sporting opportunity for young players (with over 350 boys and girls, Wanstead has one of the largest junior sections of all cricket clubs in the country) and for eight adult sides including our very successful ladies’ team. Wanstead Cricket Club also has a long-established community programme which includes very active engagement with 18 local schools.
These activities are run by a large team of volunteers who give hours of their time. The facilities are, however, extremely expensive to provide. To raise funds to finance all this sport, which has never been easy, is now exceedingly difficult.
We have been approached to make the Overton Drive ground available for tented accommodation during the two weeks of the Olympics next year. A company called Fanatics Australia wants to hire the ground for their clients primarily from Australia and New Zealand. Fanatics Australia has been in existence for 14 years and is a division of Tui Travel, the largest travel company in the world. The company organises an extensive programme of similar visits to international sporting events and other social occasions. During the Football World Cup last year in South Africa they took over the Kingsmead Test Ground in Durban, using it as a tented village but on a much more extensive basis.
The management committee has been tremendously impressed with the professionalism of Fanatics Australia, especially as they have organised many ventures even larger and more complex than what is proposed for Overton Drive. The ground will be required for the two weeks of the Olympic Games (not also the Paralympics) and a few days either side to erect and then dismantle the accommodation. We are obviously aware of potential problems such as damage to the ground or disruption to cricket, but all our findings so far are that these can be overcome. We are still negotiating and have yet to draw up an agreement, and matters will not be finalised until we are fully satisfied that there are no problems that cannot be resolved to our full satisfaction.
Wanstead Cricket Club has been based at Overton Drive for over 100 years and takes great care to maintain excellent relationships with the neighbouring clubs and the local residents, many of whom are members. Obviously, we should not want to do anything which would harm these relationships, are confident that there is nothing in the proposal that should cause concern, and shall work with our neighbours to allay any concerns.
Martin Pluck, management committee chairman, said, “We recognise that the Olympics are going to cause significant disruption in the area and we believe that this proposal will provide an excellent opportunity to enhance the Olympic experience for the local neighbourhood during the two weeks of the games. It will bring, among other benefits, additional trade to local businesses at a very difficult economic time.”
The management committee will, of course,keep members informed of developments.