More than £1,200 has been donated in the first 48 hours of White Coppice Cricket Club’s campaign to raise £150k to secure its future.
Founded in 1875, the club is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2025 but has been hit with a £29,000 bill to repair a leaking septic tank that services their clubhouse.
The club, which has two Saturday teams in the Palace Shield League, also want to install proper training facilities to help attract new players and introduce a junior division.
The fundraising campaign was only launched on Monday but has already won widespread media coverage and support from the cricket community including legendary England spinner Graeme Swann
The retired cricketer-turned-commentator and public speaker shared the club’s appeal with his 886k followers on ‘X’.
White Coppice Cricket Club’s 1st XI captain Jake Smalley said: “We’ve had an amazing response to the campaign. As well as the donations on our GoFundMe campaign we’ve been overwhelmed by the messages of the support we’ve received from the wider cricket family.
“We’ve had former players; opponents; complete strangers; and even cricket legends like Graeme Swann help us.
“Lancashire Evening Post and Lancs Live have both covered the story and social media has been crazy.
“We’ve still got a long way to go and people can contribute via our GoFundMe page, which has an initial target of £16,000.”
ROLL OF HONOUR: As well as several anonymous donations the following people have all contributed to the fundraising campaign: Jo Shippen (£25); Rob Dawson (£10); Lorna Fitzpatrick (£10); Louise Clague (£10); Karen Campbell-Williams (£30); Joseph Seager (£50); Ian Milligan (£25); Samuel Whitfield (£10); Paul Garwood (£10); Joseph Hardiker (£10); Colin Bertram (£100); Erica Galea (£20); Michael Gibbons (£50); Richard Kenyon (£50); Sarah Gibbons (£50); Matthew Tinsley (£50); Stewart Newberry (£20); David Catterall (£50); James Speakman (£25); Barry Nightingale (£50); Sandy Lindsay (£30); Steve Fifoot (£20); Caroline Dakin (£20); and Michelle Mullany (£20).