Cash For Your Community: Cricket club says sign up

After winning £725 in last year's Cash for your Community campaign, Pedmore Cricket Club no longer has to let its young stars down due to rain.

The club bought pitch covers with the money it earned, meaning games could still go ahead if the heavens opened and youngsters eager to take to the crease wouldn't be turned away.

The club, which formed in 1887, has 130 junior members on its books, but was in danger of its pitches becoming permanently damaged due to rainfall.

Last year, 4,470 Cash For Your Community tokens were collected in its name, making it one of the best-supported clubs in the campaign.

As this year's competition heats up, club treasurer Mick Bourne has urged other groups to engage with their communities and get as many tokens together as possible.

He said: "I think the Cash For Your Community campaign is a great idea and has so far been very successful.

"We had a very good return last year because we just asked everyone we knew to help out. We even asked people we didn't know to help us and they did, which was a great feeling.

"It really brought us together as a club too, because all players, parents and staff kept in touch throughout the close season to keep on top of how many tokens were being collected.

"The money went towards something really useful that will last us a long time. My advice to others would be don't be afraid to ask people, because this is a project about communities, so people with that community spirit will always try and help."

This year, the club is back in the hunt to win a slice of the £35,000 Cash For Your Community jackpot, so it can purchase an artificial wicket.

This would again help the club battle bad weather and keep the youngsters playing the sport they love. Mr Bourne added: "Making sure you are protected against bad weather is so important for a cricket club."

Cash For Your Community tokens will be printed in the Express & Star every day until October 31.

The number of tokens a group collects will determine how much of a share of £33,500 a group receives.

Tokens need to be sent to a reader's chosen group, not the Express & Star