Firstly, we are really excited about sharing with you the developments we have made through the winter, and the plans we have put in place for the season ahead:

• As part of our new Gray-Nicolls kit launch, we can confirm this year the Club will be providing a shirt with all playing memberships. The new Gray-Nicolls Club Shop can be accessed here, but please do not order a playing shirt as this will be provided directly through the Club.
• We have signed three exciting overseas players this year, who will also be helping out with junior cricket.
• Our three-lane net facility has been refurbished, and is now equipped with a state-of-the-art Bola bowling machine.
• We have increased our number of ECB qualified coaches, as well as continuing our partnership with G&R Cricket.
• We have recently launched our new Girls’ Pathway, where we will continue to build our thriving girls’ section to ensure that girls feel welcome and an integral part of the Club.

Over the past year we have all seen a rise in our own living costs, whether that’s at the petrol pump, our utility bills or at the supermarket; sadly the Club is also not immune from the impact of these increases. We have seen a steady rise in our operating costs, and have worked hard to make sure we continually challenge ourselves in having a cost-efficient operation and achieve the best value for money we can. However, to continue to offer the wide range of facilities and services to our members, we have reluctantly had to increase the cost of membership this year, the first time for over three years. This increase however has been kept to a minimum, and in most cases, members will only see an increase of £5 compared to last years prices. We hope you understand the need for this, what remains important for us, is that we ensure that everyone can continue to play and support the game we all love.

Following the success of last season, we are again making it easier when it comes to paying for your membership(s), by placing all Junior, Senior and Social memberships available to purchase through our website, rather than the need to complete paper signing on forms and paying weekly for training or match fees. Last year we found this significantly reduced our overheads in terms of administration and cash handling. Most memberships can now be paid for with either a single payment upfront at the start of the season, or by direct debit in six monthly instalments (April - September). Please wherever possible, purchase your memberships through the website, if you are having difficulty in doing so please make contact with someone at the Club so we can help.

Following the success of the changes we made to Junior memberships last year, we will continue to include the cost of training in the overall membership price, and again request these are paid either through a one-off upfront payment, or by 6 monthly instalments. This includes 21 weeks (commencing 15 April 2022) of training sessions, subject to weather conditions! Unfortunately, we will not be able to offer any partial refunds for any member who does not attend a training session. As in previous years we are still including two Social memberships (with a combined value of £60) with each Junior membership purchased. Also, any junior member, selected to play in senior match, will not be required to pay a match fee.

This season we will again be asking all senior players to pay for their membership and match fees upfront, or through monthly instalments. This will help the Club by reducing the need to collect playing fees on match days

Lastly, by paying for your membership online will help the Club ensure we have the most up to date contact details for all members, so we can keep you informed with important announcements throughout the season. If any member, for whatever reason, thinks they may have difficulty paying the membership fee, we encourage you to make contact with the Club so alternative arrangements can be discussed.

• Please pay for your membership at the earliest opportunity.
• Once you have paid for your membership, please complete the Shirt Order Form.
• Please do not order a playing shirt from the new Club Shop, as this will be provided directly through the Club.

Thank you for your continued support of Thongsbridge Cricket Club.