Business Profile: Plymouth Cricket Club

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24th February 2020

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24th February 2020

Published by on 24th February 2020

Finding a good, attractive venue in Plymouth to host your event or function can be a challenge especially if you are looking for tranquil surroundings while working on a tight budget. We all immediately have our ideas, but what if the perfect all-rounder venue was not what you would usually consider. What if it were right on your doorstep and could fit nicely into your keen budget? Well, you’re in luck, as Plymouth Cricket Club with its stunning location, set in the heart of Mount Wise and only a short five-minute journey from the city centre by car or bus, there really is nothing more unique to host your party or event with incredible facilities on-site to cater for all of your needs from wedding receptions to business conferences.

Having been around since the 1830s, Plymouth Cricket Club is as much a thriving community cricket hub now as it was then and they are continually growing with top-notch facilities to host cricket matches as well as functions. We caught up with Andy Sewell, Facilities Manager at Plymouth Cricket Club to find out about the club’s history, what facilities they have on offer and why their bright and versatile pavilion is the best choice for venue hire in Plymouth.

Plymouth Cricket Club lies in the heart of the stunning Mount Wise property development, providing a place for the people of Plymouth to unwind and get involved with one of the nation’s best-loved sports as well as having the capability to host functions.

Andy Sewell is the Facilities Manager and license holder at the club and has had a strong association to Plymouth Cricket Club since he was a young boy having grown up playing cricket. With his knowledgeable background in marketing, managing his own company AS Events & Consultancy, and his strong connection with the club, Andy decided to start working with the club in June 2019 and has been pushing them forward with everything from cricket to hospitality ever since.

Originally the club was based in both Devonport and then Mutley before moving to Outland Road where they then played until 2009. The club then found themselves in a perilous situation having both lost their lease to their ground as well as having no money. Fortunately, property developers at Mount Wise in Devonport were looking for a cricket club to take over the old United Services pavilion & cricket ground.

“They needed a cricket club and we needed a cricket ground.”

Image courtesy of Shield Media Services

A new pavilion was built with money raised from donations from many local businesses, local people as well as finance from both Sport England & the ECB. The club raised around £370,000 to rebuild the old and broken pavilion to create the beautifully modern and versatile clubhouse it is today.

Plymouth Cricket Club’s new Pavilion was officially opened at Mount Wise on the 30th June 2012 by Andrew Robathan, the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans. Since the reopening of the club in 2012, the committee has been focusing on growth as a whole with both cricket and the facilities available to hire.

The First XI team for the club currently plays in the highest division in the county – the premier division of The Devon Cricket League, playing in fixtures around the county in Exeter, Bovey Tracey, Exmouth & Sidmouth plus many more.

“We play decent cricket at a good level”

Anyone is welcome to join Plymouth Cricket Club and their teams currently consist of three senior male teams, a ladies team, a midweek team and various junior teams ranging from under 8’s to under 19’s.

The First XI team at Plymouth Cricket Club are highly successful in the Devon Cricket League and the team is thriving even further with the help of professional Pakistani player Faizan Riaz, the leagues run-scoring record holder. Faizan will join the club once again in April for his fourth season, with the team hoping for a season of success in league cricket.

After much consideration and deliberating, the committee decided it was time to get rid of membership fees and run the club on a ‘pay to play’ basis where players can pay a fee each time they play.

“We turned the membership on its head and it’s worked well. People don’t have the time to commit to playing every week, this has worked much better for them and us.”

The club regularly gets between 200 and 300 spectators watching a 1st team home match on a Saturday, with the facilities in the Pavilion open for all to make use of including a fully stocked bar.

Although cricket remains the core of the club, Andy is looking to boost the use and hire of their top quality and beautifully decorated facilities to the public. And with a fully licensed and fully stocked bar with a wide range of options from hot, cold, soft and alcoholic drinks available it’s a no brainer for the club.

With the cricket season running from April until the end of August, Andy is looking to fill the gaps with a whole host of events. The club remains available to hire in or out of season with availability limited during the peak cricket season.

“Plymouth Cricket Club is the perfect ‘all-rounder’ venue for your function, meeting or event”

The friendly and relaxed atmosphere of the venue means you’ll be welcomed with open arms by the team from Andy who manages the bar and the main running of the club to Chef Barbara from Devon Chef who cooks their home-made dishes in the on-site kitchen, putting a unique spin on catering for every event they host.

Only five minutes from the city centre and with accessible free parking, a fully stocked bar, BBQ facilities and a large decorated space, the club has everything you would look for in a unique venue, with fully exclusive hire at your fingertips.

“We are a hidden gem in the city, lots of people still don’t know we exist and we want to change that.”

The possibilities at Plymouth Cricket Club are endless, being a hub for the local community to hosting functions from birthdays to wedding receptions, wakes, christenings and anniversaries as well as being available to hire for business meetings, conferences, workshops and training events. It really is an ‘all-rounder’ venue catering to a variety of needs.

The highly adaptable space with a flexible layout for each event caters for up to 60 people. If catering is a requirement for your event, the club offers a delicious range of catering options available to suit individual requirements, all cooked and served from the fully equipped on-site kitchen by chef, Barbara.

Barbara works tirelessly for each event, whipping up scrumptious dishes for all to indulge in. Her skills are put to the test at each event hosted at the club, but she always ensures her dishes are flexible and cater to everyone’s needs, from vegetarians to vegans.

“The beauty of Plymouth Cricket Club is that it’s very adaptable”

Andy and the small team at Plymouth Cricket Club are on hand to help every step of the way from the initial enquiry until the event itself, always ensuring everyone is happy and having a great time.

The club is available to book 7 days a week from 8 am until midnight and offers competitive hourly, half-day and full-day rates for both functions and business hire. Low-cost hire rates mean this venue is affordable for all, and the committee ensure that value for money is at the utmost of priorities with their quality facilities on offer for exclusive use in or out of season.

Despite focusing on pushing venue hire, Andy insists it will always be a cricket club first, being completely focused on cricket, especially in the spring and summer months.

“Like any sports club, we are looking for additional revenue streams and with the excellent facilities we have here, venue hire is at the forefront of that”

Through hard work and determination, Andy has pushed the club forward since taking on his new role in 2019. It is clear to see that he is concentrating on growth for Plymouth Cricket Club and with his deep, sentimental connection to the club, and his passion for cricket and marketing we are excited to see the club’s success shine through.