Uppingham Town Cricket Club has taken a vital step towards turning ambitious development plans into reality.
The club has been successful in its bid for a seal of approval by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), paving the way for loans and grants to help fund a new ground.
The proposed move to a site on the Leicester Road in Uppingham will give t
he club extra space and improved facilities to further develop its thriving junior section.
Neil Wedge, manager of the club's under-15 and colts sides, worked on the successful application for Club Mark accreditation from the ECB.
He said: "Accreditation is a significant achievement for the club. It opens the door for funding from the ECB and also enhances our credibilty in Rutland with cricketers and with parents of young people who want to get involved in the sport."
The club is presently based at The Middle, at Uppingam School, but it has for years had an ambition to develop its own ground, notwithstanding the generous support of the school over many years.
Outline planning approval has already been granted for the Leicester Road site, where the club wants to develop separate pitches and changing rooms for both the senior and junior sections and for girls.
The success of the booming junior section helped the club win the endorsement of the ECB, which was looking for evidence of a well run club on and off the pitch.
Uppingham Town has nine ECB qualified coaches helping more than 130 junior members aged between six and 18, playing hard and softball league cricket.
A colts team launched this year for 14 to 18-year-olds competing in a Grantham and Melton league, has won a place in the cup final in September.
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