Hudson-Prentice and Alsop open new school nets

Fynn Hudson-Prentice and Tom Alsop 

Open Brand-New Net Facility at 

Brighton State Secondary School

Sussex Men's First Team professionals Fynn Hudson-Prentice and Tom Alsop recently visited Patcham High School in Brighton, to officially open a brand-new £50,000 three-lane net facility.

Fynn & Tom were also joined by Trustees of the Cama Cricket Charitable Trust, staff from the Sussex Cricket Foundation and Patcham High School, as well as representatives from the local community. 

The project was generously funded by the Cama Cricket Charitable Trust, Sussex Cricket Foundation, Patcham High School and the local community.

The Cama Cricket Charitable Trust have previously donated funds to the Foundation to help support various facilities projects in Crawley and were keen to support projects in another key area of the County.

The installation of the new nets was completed as part of Brighton & Hove Urban Cricket Plan, which was launched by the Foundation in 2021. 

The plan has a large focus on improving facility provision across the City to help with the continued growth of the game.

This project provides a new outdoor training facility in an area of the city where facilities were lacking and also provides a facility for state school children, boys & girls to use. 

The facility will also be made available for the local community and local cricket clubs to use, all year round. 

If anyone is interested in hiring out the facility please contact School Business Manager, Jo Levy on jlevy@patchamhigh.org.uk

Gary Wallis-Tayler, Community Cricket Director for the Sussex Cricket Foundation said: “We are delighted to have been able to install a new cricketing facility at a local state secondary school. Quality cricket facilities are lacking in state schools, which has been well documented, and we are working hard behind the scenes to address this issue. 

"This facility will go on to benefit the school, clubs and local community to help increase participation and accessibility of cricket locally. 

"We are extremely grateful to the Cama Cricket Charitable Trust for their financial support as well as the local Patcham Community in order to get this project over the line”.

Chris Warne, Cama Cricket Charitable Trust, Trustee, said: “An October afternoon with the leaves on the trees turning yellow, one could hear the sound of leather on willow.

"This was the occasion of the opening of the new outdoor cricket facility, based at Patcham High School, for the community, cricket clubs and the school where girls and boys were showing their developing cricket skills with smiles on their faces.

"The Trustees of The Cama Cricket Charitable Trust know that Spen Cama would have been delighted that his financial legacy has made this facility possible and providing opportunities for a thriving, passionate and diversified cricket community."

Tom Brookes, Patcham High School, Director of Sport added: “On behalf of everyone at Patcham High School I would like to say thank you to the Cama Cricket Charitable Trust and the Sussex Cricket Foundation for their significant donations towards our newly installed community outdoor cricket net facility. 

"This funding, alongside the generous contributions from the Rotary Club, the Patcham Community Fund and the many donations we received from local people and families has made the Cricket nets a reality rather than just a pipe dream.

Sport is powerful, it unifies and gives people a sense of belonging, as someone who is passionate about all sport but Cricket in particular, I know firsthand of the many physical, social and mental benefits it provides. 

This fantastic facility, located at a state school in the heart of its community on the northern edge of Brighton and Hove will give people every chance to experience these benefits and begin or continue their cricketing journey and maybe one day even go on to represent their county."

To find out more about the Sussex Cricket Foundation or to support, please visit their website https://sussexcricket.co.uk/sussex-cricket-foundation or contact foundation@sussexcricket.co.uk