Final Countdown in Voneus Village Cup Community Legends Awards
Judges bowled over by the standard of entries for 2024 Voneus Village Cup Community Legends, but are confident of a worthy winner from the shortlist of five.
5th July 2024
The winner of this year’s Voneus Village Cup Community Legends Award is set to be unveiled on Tuesday.
Five village cricket clubs were shortlisted for the 2024 Award, recognising their work serving the rural communities where they play.
Nominees beat off competition from across Great Britain after highlighting their commitment to being pillars of their community, as well as sustainability, diversity, inclusion and helping young people to achieve their potential in the sport.
Chestfield, from Kent, Grampound Road, from Cornwall, Matching Green, from Essex, Sarisbury Athletic, from Hampshire, and Wrea Green, from Lancashire are the five clubs to have made the shortlist.
The competition is sponsored by Voneus and administered by The Cricketer magazine, and the winner will be picked by a judging panel comprising Voneus CEO Christopher Traggio, former England cricketer and Voneus Village Cup ambassador Lydia Greenway, and The Cricketer’s editor Huw Turbervill.
Paul Gibson, chairman of Chestfield said: “Chestfield Cricket Club has become a really busy central hub of the community, centered around the older generation tackling, isolation, physical and social activities. I was fortunate enough to play in the winning Village Cup side at Lord's for Linton Park CC in 1999. I moved down to the east of Kent and encouraged our teams to enter and try to experience the amazing cup run and finals day that I did 25 years ago."
Grampound Road's Alexander Rust said: “To be recognised on the Voneus Village Cup Community Legends shortlist highlights to us that the club is in a really healthy place and moving forwards to a better future. We love taking part in the Voneus Village Cup and are delighted to be shortlisted.”
Matching Green honorary secretary Martin Figg said: “We are delighted to be shortlisted for the 2024 Venous Village Cup Community Legends award. While many rural facilities are disappearing, we are determined to buck the trend and continue to offer our club to our wider community. Only recently we started our new ’Thursday Club’, a place for anyone of any age to meet up for a chat, enjoy a cup of tea and a slice of cake and take in the idilic view from the pavilion on Matching Green.”
Sarisbury Athletic social secretary Mike Poyner said: "We are truly honoured to be shortlisted. The tireless effort of all of our volunteers, club members and the local community is a testament to the community spirit we have been privileged to build over the last few years, and this is a moment to be proud of our achievements."
Wrea Green secretary Luke Weafer said: "We're extremely delighted to be shortlisted once again for the Voneus Village Cup Community Legends award. We may be a small club, in comparison to others, but we like to think that we have a big heart that is at the centre of the community.”