As you are aware, Great Gaddesden Cricket Club has been undertaking a project to re-roof its main pavilion, as the old roof was heavy, leaking and in medium danger of failing completely. The club successfully applied to various funding sources and, due to the COVID-19 pandemic when we could not play cricket until July (and changing rooms still cannot be used), brought forward the work so that it could be carried out during the summer months.
The main work is now nearing completion, although some internal decoration is still ongoing. Despite this, we have decided to hold a 'pavilion re-opening event' in September of this year - as we feel that waiting until next cricket season would lose some of the impetus for the project. This formal re-opening ceremony will take place at 12 noon on Sunday 13th September 2020.
Councillor Terry Douris (Mayor of Dacorum Council) will be attending this event to formally re-open the pavilion, as both he (as a Hertfordshire County Councillor) and Dacorum Council provided some of the financial support to the project.
We are also inviting to this re-opening people from the funding organisations that have supported the project, the Estate and others from the local community (in particular the Riding for the Disabled Association and the local village school) that also use the pavilion from time to time.
We will be looking to provide some ‘COVID secure’ light refreshments for the re-opening event, but obviously in these unprecedented times these will be very limited only.
In addition to this an inter club match will take place hopefully from around 1pm where we would like a mixture of past and present players to take part, if we have more than 22 on the day we shall just have larger teams so all will play!
We would very much like the members of the club and any guest players to be at the ground by 11.30am at the latest as the mayor is due to arrive at 11.45. Also we shall need volunteers on the day to be up at the ground much earlier to make sure the grounds and buildings look their best, the grounds team will update you nearer to the time of any additional help required prior to playing. There is still some decorating and tidying up within the building to be done, this cannot all be done on the day so I shall be keeping in contact with John Snr to check on any help that may be required before the event to get the buildings finished.
I shall need to get an idea on numbers attending on the day, along with any guests. In addition to the buffet that is to be served before the match, it is planned to go over to the pub afterwards for a BBQ where burgers will be available to purchase. There will be meat and vegetarian options available, but we need to know potential numbers so an order can be placed.
Looking forward to your support to make this a special day!
Best Regards
Stuart Oliver
Secretary GGCC