Huddersfield-based residential property developer Vivly Living has donated a state-of-the-art kitchen for Lascelles Hall Cricket Club’s brand-new clubhouse.
Huddersfield’s oldest cricket club was badly damaged by arsonists 14 years ago, but it is now being rebuilt in time for its 200th anniversary next year.
Paul Brown, the managing director of award-winning Vivly Living explained: “When we were approached by Lascelles Hall for help, ahead of their historic 200th anniversary in 2025, we were only too happy to provide one of our best kitchens.
“The club is at the heart of Huddersfield’s cricketing and sporting community. The club has first and second teams, a ladies’ team and junior teams in all age groups. They will all benefit from a revitalised ground, with first-class facilities.
“The renaissance of this iconic cricket club is such a positive story. Although arsonists struck in 2010 and 2019, the club has fought back, raising enough money to ensure that it will be able to celebrate its 200th anniversary in style, boasting one of the finest club grounds in West Yorkshire. The club deserves all the support it is getting.”
Richard Marshall, one of the main fundraisers for Lascelles Hall, commented: “Through determination, unwavering member spirit and volunteer and community support, the club has managed to raise enough funds to build the external shell of the new clubhouse.
“This is planned to be completed by the end of January 2025. It was our intention to use volunteers and member skillsets to complete the internal aspects of the clubhouse by April 2025, reaching out to local companies for support. We wrote to over 45 local companies receiving only a handful of replies, albeit extremely generous ones.
“One of those companies was Vivly Living, a local residential housebuilder in Huddersfield. Vivly were one of the first to write back and support our cause and have generously offered a brand-new Huddersfield-made Ellis kitchen for the new clubhouse.
“The committee, members and volunteers cannot put into words how thankful we are for this gift. We never imagined we would be provided with a brand-new kitchen. The volunteers who will use the kitchen are absolutely thrilled. We will certainly be inviting the Vivly team to enjoy our 200-year anniversary celebrations next year.”
The new clubhouse building will have two changing rooms, an umpire’s room, kitchen, bar, lounge and toilets.
Richard Marshall added: “The full cost of the whole project could well end up being £400,000 but, thanks to companies like Vivly coming forward offering to help with fixtures and fittings inside, we can keep costs under control. The great sense of teamwork within the club has helped enormously, too.
“Once the clubhouse is built, we want it to be open in the winter too for local groups and organisations and it’s been designed so parts, such as the changing rooms, can be shut off when not needed.
“We will be hoping to celebrate the 200th anniversary with a big event in the summer of 2025. When the club reached its 100th and then 150th anniversary, the first team played Yorkshire at Lascelles Hall so that’s quite a feat to match.”
A key £300,000 grant towards this project came from the Community Ownership Fund from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
