Newbury Weekly News

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Thursday, May 11, 2017
Gatting’s batting for new sports pavilion
CRICKET legend Mike Gatting
was guest of honour at an open-
ing ceremony for Shalbourne’s
new sports pavilion.
The former England star, who
captained the national side in 23
Test matches between 1986 and
1995, cut the tape to formally
declare the state-of-the-art facil-
ity open.
The Shalbourne Pavilion
Appeal was launched inMay 2014,
with the aim of raising £200,000 to
build the new facility at the
village sports ground after the
old one became dangerously
dilapidated.
Planning permission was
granted for the new structure and
a major fundraising initiative
was launched.
Following individual dona-
tions, fundraising events and
grants from Sports England and
the Greenham Common Trust,
the cash was raised.
The new pavilion has spacious
and fully-equipped changing
rooms for team and individual
sports, together with toilet and
shower areas for men and
women.
Catering facilities are
included, plus a large, multi-
purpose indoor area.
There is a verandah on the
front of the building and storage
facilities for groundskeeping and
other equipment in a separate
building to the rear.
Local sports that will benefit
from the new building include
cricket, football, tennis, basket-
ball, petanque and croquet.
In addition, community events
held at the sports ground, includ-
ing the Classic Car Show each
October, which regularly attracts
more than 4,000 people, the May
Day Fair and the village firework
display, will all be enhanced by
the pavilion.
The Shalbourne Recreation
Society manages the sports
ground and chairman Bob
Walker welcomed Mike Gatting
to the event.
Chairman of the fundraising
committee, Charles Scott, said:
“It was an absolutely wonderful
event.”
After the traditional, annual
cricket match between Shal-
bourne and nearby Ham, Mike
Gatting spoke of the fun he had
enjoyed, and the friends he had
made, during his stellar career,
and added: “The new pavilion
will help people make a lot more
friends and have a lot more fun; it
will encourage youngsters to take
up the game.
“Cricket builds bridges and
brings communities together.
“These sorts of places really do
give kids in the community a
chance to have fun in a safe place
instead of hanging round in
gangs.”
He added: “This means an
awful lot to me and to the volun-
teers who have spent their time
with the kids, and to everyone
who helped to get this pavilion up
and running.”
It was, he said, a “great credit”
to the village and to all who had
made the new facility a reality.
Mr Scott said that bookings for
weddings, parties and other
events were already coming in.
Cricket aceopenstate-of-the-art sports facility inShalbourne
MikeGattingwiththeShalbourneandHamcricketeams Ref:18-1917B
MikeGatting cutstheribbon toofficially open thepavilion
Ref:18-1917C
Former England cricket captainMikeGatting withShalbourne captain Peter
ReidandHamcaptainMartinHumphreys Ref:18-1917A
MikeGatting withartistSaraSturgeon, BobWalkerandCharles Scott
Ref:18-1917D
CrowdsattheopeningoftheShalbournevillagesportspavilion Ref:18-1917E
Bad behaviour in Kintbury
THE Hungerford and Lambourn Valley neigh-
bourhood police team is investigating a spate
of anti-social behaviour in Kintbury.
In a monthly update, the team reports that the
pedestrian gate to Kintbury St Mary’s Primary
School was damaged between April 7 and 13.
It was also reported that bricks were removed and
thrown at barges from the bridge over the canal.
Furthermore, on April 16, boxes of eggs were
thrown at properties in both Church Street and
Millbank.
Pc Lee Frost is investigating the above incidents.
Meanwhile, in Hungerford, the front window of
the One Stop shop in Fairview Road was smashed
using a sign that was positioned outside.
The suspect is described as white, in his 20s,
wearing a dark blue T-shirt, grey hoodie, blue
jeans and white trainers.
Anyone with information about any of the above
incidents can contact then team via the 101
number. Alternatively, the independent
Crimestoppers charity can be contacted anony-
mously on 0800 555 111.
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Newbury Weekly News