We are delighted to confirm that some major improvements to the clubhouse are taking place this year that will benefit all members and visitors, and especially our burgeoning cohort of female cricketers.

The Issue
One of our great successes in recent years has been the growth of our girls section. From not existing at all to being one of the best in the county - in just four years - is remarkable. The obvious next step is to create a thriving women’s section that the girls can progress to. However, at present, we do not have any changing rooms or showers for female cricketers. This needed to change.

In addition, the current ladies toilets are inconveniently situated off the main hall which limits easy access, especially when events or meetings are being held.

The Plans
There are various elements to the plans:

- The eastern end of the pavilion (generally known as ‘the bowls end’) will be substantially remodelled to include female changing rooms and showers for cricket (home and away). We will also create new changing rooms and a social room for the bowls club. Space for umpires will be included.

- New ladies toilets will be created adjacent to the main bar where the ‘old’ front entrance lobby was.

- As a consequence of the above, a new front entrance has been created to the right of the original.

As part of the refurbishment, the kitchen will also be enlarged to create more working and storage space.

The Funding
Over the past year or so, the SSA has been working hard behind the scenes to find the considerable funding needed to make the plans a reality. The objective was to secure all the necessary finance externally without having to ask members for donations - not an easy task!

However, thanks to the generous backing of Spelthorne Borough Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) fund, we are now in the extremely fortunate position of having the funding we need to proceed. We have also received financial support from the ECB and Your Fund Surrey for which we are very grateful. Altogether this represents an investment in your club of almost £200,000.

The Timing
If you have been to the clubhouse recently you will have noticed that Phase 1 - building the new entrance and ladies loos – is well underway. The girls changing rooms and all other elements will follow in Phase 2. Our ambition was to have all the works completed by the start of the 2026 League season in May but, due to the time it has taken to secure funding and appoint builders, it is now likely to run into June. We thank you for your co-operation and patience while the works are going on.

The Result
The improvements will benefit a huge number of our members and visitors but, above all, we will have a clubhouse fit for the future – a future that includes thriving girls’ and women’s teams.

As members you will know that in recent years we have been fortunate to see some major improvements to the clubhouse and grounds including the new bar and patio and the fully refurbished and extended outdoor nets. We want to continue enhancing the ground in other ways in the future and hope we can continue to rely on your support to do so.