Howzat

A Mirfield Cricket Club is celebrating after receiving two 11th-hour community grants to improve its facilities in time for the summer season.

But Mayor of Mirfield Vivien Lees Hamilton has warned more tough decisions on community grants will have to be made this year as area committee funding was slashed for the coming year.

Hopton Mills Cricket Club received grants from the Mirfield, Denby Dale and Kirkburton Area Committee and Mirfield Town Council this week that add up to the £5,692.80 it needs to fit a durable floor in its new changing rooms in time for the new season, which starts next weekend.

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Club secretary Phil Bland said: “The changing rooms will now be finished in time for the new season, and we are very much looking forward to it.

“It is a feeling of relief that we now have these grants, as everyone has worked to hard to get everything up and running for the new season.”

But a £10,000 grant applied for by neighbouring Upper Hopton Cricket Club for a new practice area was turned down by the area committee, and coun Hamilton hinted this could be the first of many rejected grants. She said: “The money Mirfield gets for area committee funding has reduced to about £12,000 for the year. I could think of so many things to spend the money on that you could add a couple more zeros onto that.

“There is not enough money anymore in area committee funds.”

Earlier this year the club was granted £43,000 by Sport England to spend on new changing facilities.

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