£186,676 for cricket in Wales as ten clubs win Energy Saving Grants
£186,676 for cricket in Wales as ten clubs win Energy Saving Grants
Ten cricket clubs across Wales have been awarded a combined £186,676 through the Sport Wales Energy Saving Grant, funded by the Welsh Government – money that will cut running costs, cut carbon, and go straight back into the game.
Ten cricket clubs across Wales will cut their energy bills and reduce their carbon footprint after securing a combined £186,676 from the Sport Wales Energy Saving Grant.
The grants, funded by the Welsh Government and delivered by Sport Wales, range from £12,366 to £24,196 and reach clubs the length and breadth of the country from St Asaph in the north to Cresselly and Haverfordwest in the west.
The scheme has been running since 2023 and offers up to £25,000 towards energy-saving improvements, with clubs meeting at least 20 per cent of project costs. Eligible work includes solar panels and battery storage, LED lighting and motion sensors, insulation, new windows and doors, energy-efficient heating and hot water systems, and sustainable water solutions such as boreholes and rainwater harvesting.
For clubs that run pavilions, changing rooms and function rooms all year round, energy is one of the largest and least predictable costs of the year. Rising bills have eaten into budgets that would otherwise fund coaching, kit and junior cricket, which is why the savings matter as much as the installations.
Five clubs, five very different projects
The awards are funding a wide range of work from solar arrays and battery storage to a complete replacement of ageing heating. Five clubs have shared what the funding means for them.
Cresselly: solar PV, storage batteries and a UK first
At Cresselly Cricket Club in Pembrokeshire, the £22,177 award will pay for solar PV panels and storage batteries. The club expects the work to cut its carbon footprint, reduce its energy bills and lower its overall running costs, with the savings reinvested into its facilities.
Alongside the energy work, the club says it is also one of the first cricket clubs in the UK to secure and install Ball Strike Netting, and is keen to share the experience so that other clubs facing similar challenges can see it as a practical option.
Chris Richards, Secretary at Cresselly Cricket Club, said: “Everyone at Cresselly Cricket Club would like to say a big thank you to Sport Wales for their generous grant, which will be going towards the installation of solar PV panels and storage batteries at our club. This support will make a significant difference, helping us reduce our carbon footprint, cut our energy bills and lower our overall running costs. By investing in renewable energy, we can make our club more sustainable for the future and ensure that savings can be reinvested into our facilities. We are also proud to be one of the first cricket clubs in the UK to secure and install solar with integrated Ball Stop Netting, we are keen to showcase this netting and hope to demonstrate that it is a viable and practical solution for other cricket clubs in a similar predicament to ourselves to consider. By sharing our experiences, we hope to encourage other clubs to explore the benefits and potentially follow our lead. We are always looking at ways to improve, both on and off the field, and support like this is invaluable to grassroots sport and will have a lasting positive impact on our club and wider community.”
Swansea Bay: 52 panels, 78% less reliance on the grid
The largest award of the ten, £24,196, goes to Swansea Bay Sports Association, the home of Swansea and Civil Service Cricket Club. It will fund 52 solar panels with battery storage on the association’s new clubhouse. The club estimates the system will cut reliance on the grid by 78 per cent, return green energy to the grid, and save around 4,300kg of CO2 a year, which it compares to roughly 15,000 miles of car journeys, or the carbon absorbed by around 197 trees.
Mike Hayden, Trustee at Swansea Bay Sports Association, said: “We are delighted that our grant application under the energy efficiency scheme has been approved. The grant award will enable us to install 52 solar panels with battery storage to our new clubhouse. The proposed scheme will reduce reliance on the grid by 78%. The system will also deliver green energy back to the grid. The environmental benefit has been estimated at 4,300KG CO2 per annum which equals to a car journey of 15,000 miles and the same carbon absorbed by approximately 197 trees supporting our commitment to operate in a sustainable way. This award will enable us not only to be extremely energy efficient but also with rising energy costs help us build a long term sustainable future for our club and the wider community who will benefit from the clubhouse. We would like to acknowledge the help and guidance from cricket Wales with our application and to Sport Wales for their support.”
Abergavenny: heat pumps to open the club through winter
A £12,366 grant will allow Abergavenny Cricket Club to replace inefficient electric heaters with an air source heat pump system. The change is expected to let the club hold events and functions through the winter months, when it would normally be closed income the club describes as a financial lifeline.
Brian Kultshar, Grants Officer at Abergavenny Cricket Club, said: “The Sport Wales Energy Grant will enable the club to replace its inefficient electric heaters with a ‘state of the art’ heat source pump system. This is very significant in that it will enable the club to hold events and functions during the winter months, when it would normally be closed. It will help enormously in generating vital income, and will also create the opportunity to raise our profile in encouraging community groups to use our facilities. Without exaggeration, this will be a financial lifeline during a challenging time.”
Buckley: a heat pump for a First World War barracks
Buckley Cricket Club’s £16,740 grant will replace an ageing, inefficient LPG boiler with an air source heat pump, working alongside the club’s existing solar PV system and energy management technology, installed through the ECB County Grants ‘Tackling Climate Change’ fund. The clubhouse began life as a First World War Canadian Army barracks, and the club sees the project as proof that green technology can breathe new life into historic buildings and keep them in use all year round.
Mark McMarnus, Chair of Buckley Cricket Club, said: “At Buckley Cricket Club, we are absolutely delighted to have secured funding through the Sport Wales’ Energy Saving Grant. This investment will allow us to replace our ageing, inefficient LPG boiler with a state-of-the-art STIEBEL ELTRON air source heat pump, working alongside our existing SOLARWATT solar PV system and intelligent energy management technology, which we installed as a result of the ECB County Grants – ‘Tackling Climate Change fund’. As a club, we are committed to sustainability, reducing our environmental impact and ensuring that we do things the right way for future generations. Our clubhouse, originally a First World War Canadian Army barracks, is a hugely important part of our heritage, and this project demonstrates that modern green technology can successfully breathe new life into historic buildings. By reducing our running costs, improving energy efficiency and providing reliable heating throughout the winter, we are not only protecting our building for the future but also making Buckley Cricket Club an even more welcoming, accessible and valuable year-round community asset for the people of Buckley, which ties nicely into our commitment to being open, inclusive and accessible to all.”
Neath: solar to keep the club thriving
Neath Cricket Club receives £15,578 for a solar installation, which the club says will cut energy costs, lower its carbon footprint and help secure its future as a community club.
Simon Thomas, Chair of Neath Cricket Club, said: “We are delighted to receive this funding from Sport Wales. The solar project will deliver lasting benefits – it will reduce our energy costs, lower our carbon footprint and help ensure Neath Cricket Club remains a thriving, sustainable community club for many years to come.”
Victoria Evans, Facilities Lead at Cricket Wales, said:
“Energy is one of the biggest fixed costs in our game, and for many clubs it is the difference between a pavilion that stays open all winter and one that has to close its doors. Our facilities pillar commits us to helping clubs reduce their carbon footprint, save money and energy, so that every pound saved can be reinvested back into cricket. These ten awards are that commitment in practice and they would not have been possible without Sport Wales and the Welsh Government continuing to back community sport. For these clubs, the legacy is a warmer, cheaper, more sustainable building and a little more breathing space to invest in the things that grow the game.”
The ten clubs to benefit are:
Neath Cricket Club (Neath Port Talbot) — £15,578
Abergavenny Cricket Club (Monmouthshire) — £12,366
Tondu Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club (Bridgend) — £23,099
Cresselly Cricket Club (Pembrokeshire) — £22,177
Haverfordwest Cricket Club (Pembrokeshire) — £21,513
Swansea Bay Sports Association (Swansea) — £24,196
St Asaph Cricket Club (Denbighshire) — £18,319
Creigiau Recreation Charity (Cardiff) — £15,888
Buckley Cricket Club Ltd (Flintshire) — £16,740
Clydach Cricket Club (Swansea) — £16,800
Cricket Wales would like to thank Sport Wales and the Welsh Government for their continued investment in community cricket. Support of this kind does more than improve a building: it keeps clubhouses open through the winter, keeps subscriptions and match fees affordable, and keeps the money local.
The 2026 round of the Energy Saving Grant is now closed to new applications. Clubs interested in future rounds can submit an expression of interest through Sport Wales’ grants and funding portal, and can contact Cricket Wales’ facilities team for help with energy surveys, evidence gathering and applications.
