HOWZAT! A cricket club has unveiled its new £50,000 roof after scooping a grant from an environmental firm.

Astley Bridge CC was given £49,500 of funding by Viridor, with a generous club member providing the £4,950 needed to qualify for the grant.

The club’s old flat roof was expensive to maintain due to drain blockages and leaks, leading to a number of repairs being made in recent years.

Peter Bond, a fundraiser at the club, said he was delighted with the new roof.

He said: “It is absolutely superb and we have struggled for a long time with our existing facilities.This will make things a lot more comfortable for everyone who uses the pavilion, which is not just the cricket club.

“The venue is very much a community club where a number of different societies come for their meetings, such as the allotment society, swimming club and bingo club, as well as being a cricket club for local schools.

“The old roof was flat and cost a lot of money to repair.

“And because the new one will cost less to maintain, all the money we make through fundraisers can go straight back into the club and its facilities.

“It will make things a lot better. The club has a fantastic community team of volunteers who work hard to keep the place running well, so it’s great to know that we can concentrate on that rather than fixing the roof.”

The club is still eyeing up future improvements, and has just won a £3,000 grant from Sport England small grants to have a new boiler installed.