HEALTH & BEAUTY
Bury St. Edmunds
CRICKET CLUB
Victory Sports Ground history continued... In 1975 the ground was purchased by St Edmundsbury Borough Council who operated the ground as a community facility. The quality of the ground began to reduce and the cost implications to the Borough council became significant, in fact the cost to the council was in the region of ÂŁ150,000 per annum this was due to the employment of two full time grounds staff and the considerable council management involvement. The quality of the ground deteriorated to such an extent that Suffolk stopped playing Minor Counties matches after discussions following an approach to St Edmundsbury Borough Council a group of people from the cricket club in 1999 these forward thinking group of individuals formed a `not for profit` organisation to take on the running and maintenance of the ground under a lease granted in 2001. The quality of the ground steadily improved and became again one of the best sports grounds in East Anglia. In 2007 discussion commenced with regard to improving the pavilion and changing facilities. The old pavilion had served its purpose and was badly in need of replacement. These discussions involved Bury St Edmunds Cricket Club and South Lee School who were seeking to provide an indoor sports hall but had insufficient space on their adjacent site. The discussions, negotiations and fund raising culminated in the creation of the superb new indoor sports centre and community pavilion which was built in 2013
at a cost of ÂŁ2.25 million. The old pavilion was taken down in 2014, in it were memorial boards containing the names of Greene King employees who died in both world wars, these have now been returned to Greene King to be displayed in their museum. The ground is now owned by The Victory Sports Community Interest Company who purchased the ground from St Edmundsbury Borough Council on January 1st 2013 it has charitable objectives and is available for use by the local community. The Community Interest Company (CIC) has an independent chairman with 6 other directors who are all involved with aspects of the operation. The CIC operates the grass areas of the ground, South Lee School as part of the agreement reached with the Borough Council operates the sports hall and Bury St Edmunds Cricket Club run the Community Pavilion and
associated changing facilities the operation is delegated to a Community Pavilion Governance Group to help ensure the facility delivers the maximum community benefit. The major outside funder of the project was the England and Wales Cricket Board who insisted that their money go the cricket club hence the cricket club had to operate the Community Pavilion, however a management agreement was agreed between all the partners that allows those using the ground to utilise the Community Pavilion and associated facilities. A Community Use Agreement was entered into between South Lee School and St Edmundsbury Borough Council to ensure the Sports Hall is made available at affordable prices outside school time to local sports clubs. In effect Bury St Edmunds obtained an additional indoor sports facility at no cost to the council tax payers of the area.
If you are interested in hiring the Community Pavilion please contact Rosie Nunn on 07885 040039 or rosemary.nunn@hotmail.com If you are interested in playing cricket please contact David Barker on 07876 496064 or david@ejbarker.co.uk DECEMBER 2017 | 25