I hope this message finds you in good health and high spirits. As we embark into the second full month of the cricket season, I wanted to take a moment to provide you with an early progress report highlighting the significant achievements and developments we have witnessed thus far during the first 5 weeks.

First and foremost, I am delighted to report that our membership base has grown considerably since the beginning of the season. We have welcomed numerous new members who share our passion and dedication. The increased diversity and talent within the club is creating fresh perspectives and ideas, fostering a vibrant and dynamic atmosphere across all areas.

Club Welfare: This is now the first agenda point at every committee meeting and I am pleased to say that issues are few and far between but we cannot be complacent. We are pleased to say that we now have two fully trained welfare officers (Nikki Welsby and Adrian Lee) and they are available and should be approached for any issues that members may have.

Ground: Huge thanks is due to the volunteer ground crew of Barry, Adrian and our new overseas player, Aussie Ollie who are continuing to maintain and upgrade our machinery inventory with our mechanic, Russ. The ground is looking fantastic and we were pleased to take delivery of a new sightscreen and a new walk on practice net at the start of the season.

Baby Changing Facility: We are also delighted to see so many babies being pushed around the ground and have installed a new baby changing unit in the disabled toilet in the building next to the main clubhouse. The key can be requested from the bar

Live Streaming Matches: Many thanks to Ion and Steve in setting up our new live streaming camera with professional editing and highlights packages. This will enable training sessions and matches to be watched live on youtube and for players to look at techniques etc. We would love to be able to stream junior home games but need parent volunteers to learn how to set up the leads and to score on the laptop. If you would like to assist in streaming junior games during the week and Sunday mornings, then please contact (alee_115@hotmail.com)

My Club Wins Lottery: This is a new monthly lottery for Sports Clubs and is a potential game changer for us. For every £5 monthly ticket that is bought, not only can you win great cash prizes but the club obtains 50% (£2.50). This money will be used on improving all aspects of the club and your support in buying tickets under the Hoddesdon club name will be hugely appreciated …and you can win some great cash prizes. You can purchase tickets by clicking on Hoddesdon CC at https://www.myclubwins.co.uk/clubs/hoddesdon-cricket-club/

Memberships Cards and Bar: Cards are now available for the 2023 season, please speak with our brilliant bar manager, Harley, to pick up your card as the generic discount card will no longer be available and members will be asked to show their memberships cards. We are pleased to say that the glass washer and beer cooler issues have been resolved and Harley and the team look forward to welcoming all members to sample the various drinks on offer to members. In the vast majority, we are pleased to offer our members bar prices that are cheaper than most local pubs. Thank you to Steve and Harley for their work on the new cards and bar rota.

Sponsorship: We have made substantial progress in strengthening our relationships with external stakeholders. Collaborations with sponsors and local organizations have opened up exciting opportunities for us to amplify our impact and broaden our reach. We welcome Spark Restaurant as a new sponsor and thank One Wealth, David Barney Solicitors, Marconato, The Star, Smokeshed, GolfHubber, Bealls, Aureus, Broxbourne Station Cars, Ribera, Saffron, Fit4less, The Sun, Magic Mouse, HECC, Bobs Logs, Kirby Colletti, Churchfield Cars, CRM Accountants, Purple Raspberry Catering, Fore Street Recruitment, Ion Budica Decorators, London Hire and Harlow Greyhound Stadium for their fantastic support and for the dedicated members discounts that some of our sponsors are able to provide. By forging these valuable connections, we have positioned ourselves as a recognized and respected club within the community and are proud to partner with them all. Well done to our volunteers, Harry, Terry and Alan for their great work on creating these sponsorship partnerships. Thanks also to Stuart Varney at Hoddesdon Town FC, the relationship between our clubs is moving in the right direction for members of both clubs. Any new sponsors wishing to be involved at Hoddesdon CC, please contact Harry Mason (harrymason@live.co.uk)

Socials: We are pleased to say that despite a fantastic season last year, we are already ahead on the bar revenues generated over the same period during 2022 however we cannot be complacent and members are encouraged to ensure they keep themselves well hydrated !!. We have an exciting few weeks ahead which includes the Presidents Day and a touring team visiting us. Thanks to Louis and the socials team who are busy arranging some music nights and other social events – watch this space for dates. Many thanks also to Joe ‘the money’ Cuffaro for ensuring the club remains in a very healthy financial position but we do have a vacancy for a volunteer to help try to obtain grants. There are many grants available and if we can have a dedicated person to help track these down and apply for them then it would be a huge benefit to the club. If you are able to assist, please contact joecuffaro@hotmail.com

Junior Cricket: Our Junior section is expanding at a fantastic rate and I must commend the exceptional efforts of our dedicated volunteers and committee members. Their hard work and dedication have been instrumental in driving our initiatives forward. Their contributions and unwavering support have laid the foundation for our early successes and will undoubtedly continue to shape our future achievements as a junior section. Our objective is to ensure the sessions are fun, and, for those who are old enough, game time is shared around. Our motto is “inclusion and fun”. We are proud to be a club with one of the highest amount of DBS checked members in the county and now have a record number of juniors, coaches and volunteers that we have ever had …but we always need more. Looking forward, we are already starting to look at winter training plans and venues. Thanks to the volunteer committee members of Guy, Adrian, Clive, Steve, Antony and all of the coaches.

Junior Volunteers and Coaching: As well as volunteering opportunities to help at juniors training sessions, there are coaching courses available which are very easy to take and will be funded by the club. Please contact Adrian Lee (alee_115@hotmail.com) if you are interested in helping in a volunteer capacity – your help is hugely appreciated.

Senior Cricket: Many clubs in the country and either folding or experiencing desperate levels of availability and junior cricket is vital to ensure clubs will exist going forward. On one hand, for our seniors, we have been able to field teams for all matches so far when many other clubs are having to concede due to lack of players. However, although we have had some great results and witnessed some fantastic games, if senior players can make themselves available via pitchero then we will be even more competitive and this will help our juniors develop at the right rate. We are drafting our 5 year plan with the objective of Hoddesdon challenging once again to be the best club in Hertfordshire, a title that we have held on multiple occasions in the past and although this will be a journey for everyone, at the moment, many of our objectives are on target. Many thanks to all captains and to Andrew Byrne for the great work that they do on the cricket committee to ensure the senior section is vibrant and an attractive proposition for current and new playing members. If you wish to become a playing member then please contact a-byrne1@sky.com

Scorers and Umpires: A huge thank you to Liz, Harley, Alan, Neil, Andy and Joe, who dedicate their time to help with scoring and umpiring – we are the club we are because of you.

In conclusion, I am immensely proud of the progress we have made during the early stages of this season. At every club, there are always areas to improve, both on and off the pitch and we are no different. At present, our club is flourishing in the vast majority of areas and it is thanks to the collective efforts of each and every member. As we continue to grow and evolve, I urge you all to remain actively involved, sharing your ideas, suggestions, and expertise to shape the future of Hoddesdon CC.

Thank you for your continued support, and I look forward to sharing more updates with you as the season progresses.

Yours sincerely,

Ian Munday, HCC Chairman.