We are sure that most will be aware that the club spent last winter renovating the original 1891 Pavilion and turning it into a bar. In fact, probably some of you will have made use of this facility during the current season.
As a committee we want you to be aware of what is planned next for this area and how it is being funded.
The area in front of the pavilion is at the moment comprised of five tiers of flagstones with benches for spectators.
What we are proposing is to have a large viewing area outside the bar by raising the second and third tiers from the top up to the height of the top tier.
There will be a lift installed on the left-hand side of the railing you can see in the picture (above right) which will enable wheelchair users and prams/pushchairs to reach this terrace. Also there will be a ramp built giving access to the pavilion itself.
Along the front edge of the terrace there will be a steel and glass balustrade with a gate, which will fully enclose the area, making a safe area for children.
Committee member Graham Avison has worked tirelessly on behalf of the club sourcing funds for this project and was successful in receiving grants from both Hyndburn Borough Councils Community Chest Fund, and The National Lottery Fund totaling £10,000. We have also applied to the organisers of The Rishton Ramble for a further grant from this years event, and as a committee and club we are very grateful to all these organisations for supporting us in this way.
When will all this happen, you may ask.
Well, we hope to make a start by first having the lift installed. This will take time as there will need to be some metal fabrication needed to the railings. Then a power supply needs to be sorted and finally the lift itself. However, we wouldn’t be able to open it for wheelchairs, prams and pushchairs until we have done the work to the terrace, and unfortunately, we can’t start that until the cricket season ends. We have got a start date for this work to commence no later than September 16th and hope to have it all completed within 2 weeks.
We will of course keep everyone updated through this page as the project develops along with photographs showing all stages of construction.
Rishton Cricket Club Committee.