With the new season rapidly approaching, there is plenty going on in and around the club. Indoor training commenced last night and new sponsorship money is getting spent on infrastructure and equipment.
Live Streaming Thanks to GPM
We are chuffed to have secured sponsorship with GPM Software Solutions, who are kindly providing us with a FrogBox for the club. As much as we like frogs at Oakley, this is not quite as it sounds. A FrogBox (as seen above) is a live streaming system that will allow us to show all home matches via the website or YouTube. We will also be able to produce highlights reels of great moments such as centuries, 5 wicket-hauls, and catastrophic golden ducks.
We would like to thank GPM Operations Director, Sarah Carpenter (Josh’s mum) for this new, fun and exciting addition to the club. It has been on our wanted list for some time. For it to come in the form of sponsorship is a real bonus. It is luxury item really, so wouldn’t have been a realistic purchase this season with the other spending taking place. We now look forward to the end of season video with renewed gusto.
Miller Homes
Many thanks also, to Miller Homes, for a sponsorship donation of £1000.00. This money is to be used by the club to purchase equipment or infrastructure that is of benefit to the club and the local community. We have plenty of ideas and the committee will decide in due course where the money will be spent. We will let you know when we make a decision.
Bob Jones and The Externals
Some of you may recall that after all the effort with the internal refurb last year, we said that 2023 would be time to turn to the refurbishment of the balcony area. The idea of this, is to increase our appeal as a venue, making it more of an attractive place for the families and friends of members to visit.
Once again, Bob Jones has stepped forward to put his exceptional joinery skills to use.Bob is using his workshop at home (below) to create the replacement of the pavilion balustrade. We are also replacing the ‘Oakley CC Est 1849’ lettering with new weatherproof numbers and letters. It promises to look great and we are ever so grateful to Bob for his time and effort.
Members
If anyone ever wonders to themselves why parents and grandparents go out of their way to sponsor, or lend their hands to the club, here’s why.
They see a facility where the senior members have welcomed their children into the club and helped them into adult cricket. They then become part of it themselves and feel like offering something back. I have lost count of the parents and grandparents who have got involved financially or physically with regards to making the clubhouse better for everyone.
If we maintain our good membership and keep on attracting new members who are as useful off the pitch as on it, we will carry on growing. As a consequence we will continue to get investment from people who love seeing the continued development of ‘The Theatre of Scenes’. A kind of self-fulfilling prophecy.
Keep up the good work everyone.
The Chair!