Crowthorne & Crown Wood Cricket Club

Merger Announcement

To: Members, Friends and associates of Crowthorne Cricket Club and Crown Wood Cricket Club,

It is with great pleasure that both clubs are able to issue this joint statement regarding the imminent merger of the 2 clubs to form 1 new club. Over the past few months, as many of you know, senior committee members from both clubs have been meeting to work on a framework for a mutually beneficial merger.

The fruit of these long meetings and extensive research carried out by both parties is now ready to be savoured. Both Crowthorne and Crown Wood enter into this with eyes wide open and a commitment to drive enthusiasm, ideas and to forge a club spirit to drive the new club forwards. This is a great move for both clubs and its members as we come together to make 1 stronger club with its own home, thriving adult and junior sections and lots of potential for the future.

Please have a read of this email and any of the links you feel necessary to help understand what is happening.

1. Background:

• In general, recreational cricket participation has declined in recent years with changing lifestyles and demands on people’s time. Clubs that stand still tend to disappear. It’s that simple.
• Currently there are 2 club’s with complementary strengths and competencies, located very close together competing for the same limited market of new players.
• Both clubs have been in existence for around 30 years, offering friendly and competitive standards of Cricket. In recent years, Crown Wood’s membership has declined, whilst Crowthorne’s has grown
• Crown Wood have a well-established youth Section, ECB Clubmark accreditation and a permanent home
• Crowthorne have an excellent administration base with high levels of player recruitment and retention but without the presence of an underlying structure to ensure sustainability in the mid to long-term.
• Both clubs realise that long term sustainability in their current guise would not be easy to say the least.

2. Purpose & Rationale for Merger:

• To create a solid sustainable club providing cricket for all ages and abilities for the communities of Crowthorne and the surrounding areas
• To build on the success of Crown Wood’s youth section to provide Cricket to as many young people in the local community as we can
• To build on the successful growth of Crowthorne’s adult section to provide a variety of types of cricket to adults regardless of their ability.
• To develop a club that the community can be proud of and that plays an active role in the community.
• To secure the long-term security of both existing clubs under the umbrella of the new merged club.