FoGR make another generous donation
Tue 10 Nov 2015
Leicestershire County Cricket Club is extremely grateful for another generous donation of £12,000 from The Friends of Grace Road (FoGR). The monies raised will go towards the restoration of the Maurice Burrows Stand on top of the pavilion.
The FoGR have again been selling teas, coffees and their wonderful homemade cakes at home matches and also ran a raffle at home games during NatWest T20 Blast games.
Their excellent work does not stop at the end of the season as the FoGR are now busy with the winter lunch programme and will host their first annual quiz at the end of November.
It is a real success story for the FoGR, who managed to keep running because a number of volunteers kindly offered their time to help.
Chief Executive of Leicestershire and Rutland Cricket Wasim Khan MBE said: “We are very thankful for the continued brilliant work and generosity of the Friends of Grace Road. The Friends of Grace Road do a lot of good work all year round, including the service they offer on matchdays.
“The club is extremely grateful for the donation, which will go towards improving the matchday experience for our Members. The Maurice Burrows Stand is an area we are looking to improve and we are pleased to be able to put the donation towards the renovation work. It will allow our Members a terrific view of Grace Road.”
Chair of Friends of Grace Road Roy Bent made the donation to Chairman Paul Haywood at Friday's FoGR winter lunch and has the following message to Leicestershire CCC Members and supporters:
“At the start of the 2015 season, the Friends of Grace Road seriously considered disbanding as no additional help had been forthcoming despite repeated appeals for volunteers. However, we decided to give it one more go and offered teas, coffees and homemade cakes in the Meet for the season, albeit with reduced opening hours. We also decided to hold FoGR 50/50 Raffles at T20 games.
“We’ve now reviewed the season and we have done phenomenally well. We received help during the season from 32 different volunteers, most of whom are people with no interest in cricket and who would not normally come to Grace Road for any reason whatsoever. Many of those new volunteers have been baking cakes for us and others have been serving those cakes and tea and coffee to members and spectators. Others have helped us greatly by selling Raffle tickets around the ground.
"Importantly, all of our customers have been excited by the selection and the quality of the homemade cakes available to them and all of our helpers have enjoyed themselves by providing and serving those cakes. I’d like to say a big thank you to all of our helpers and I hope that they are looking forward to continuing their good work next season. Of course, we would also welcome more help from anyone who can spare a couple of hours, not all the time, but every now and again.
“I am very pleased to announce that the 2015 donation from the FoGR to the Club is again £12,000, and we have agreed that this money will be spent on the restoration of the Maurice Burrows Stand on top of the pavilion. This stand has long been considered by members as the best view on the ground and it has been greatly missed for far too many years. The FoGR is so pleased to see its efforts being rewarded in a way that will benefit and please so many members in the coming years.
“The Friends programme of events during the winter continues with the very enjoyable FoGR Winter Lunches on Friday 5th February 2016 and Friday 4th March 2016 and the 1st Annual FoGR Quiz Night which should provide a very enjoyable evening. It will be held on Friday 27th November. We want to encourage as many teams as possible to enter. A team entry costs just £12 and that covers a hot buffet for all 3 players and raffle tickets. You are also welcome just to come and watch and that will cost just £1 and that also includes your raffle tickets.”
Please contact the club if you can offer help to the FoGR or you want to attend any of the above events. All enquiries can be made to 0116 283 2128 or by emailing enquiries@leicestershireccc.co.uk
