Zoe Moffatt
Malmsbury Cricket Club has been awarded a $5000 grant amid extensive damage from floods last October.
Cricket Victoria announced Tuesday, February 28 that Malmsbury Cricket Club was one of 12 Victorian clubs to receive the CitiPower grant totalling $56000.
Malmsbury club secretary Matt Cox said the grant means a lot to the club, which is struggling to rebuild the club house after the floods.
“We lost everything [in the floods],” Mr Cox said. “We currently have no club house and lost all the contents of the club house.”
“We are basically starting as a new club, we have the members, but not the club house.”
Mr Cox said they need the club house back on its feet to be able to hold social events at the ground.
“[The social aspect] is why we all play local cricket, for the laughs and chat afterwards.”
Looking to the future, Mr Cox said they are hoping to do more fundraising to continue to rebuild the club, but the $5000 is a great kickstart.
“The local community [has been] excellent,” he said, and the Flood Relief Appeal in January was a great success to help raise funds for the club.
Cricket Victoria chief executive Nick Cummins said they received a spike in applications due to the floods last year.
“This year, we had a record number of applicants, which highlights the importance of this funding in assisting clubs, volunteers and communities,” he said.
Applications for the next round of grants will open on October 16. Details: www.cricketvictoria.com.au/citipower-canteen-grant/
