Wanstead and Snaresbrook Cricket Club

Dear Member and Club Follower

At the start of the summer it looked like the club might have to remain shut and that we would not get any cricket, but we did! I want to express my sincere thanks for the support of so many members, it is hugely appreciated.

During the initial lock down period our Covid-19 response was three fold.

• Ensure the sustainability of the club, by reducing costs and applying for all available grants.
• Offer financial assistance to members, who might otherwise be forced to withdraw from cricket.
• Stay engaged with our members.

I believe we did all of this successfully.

Once the plans for a return of cricket were initiated, we were able to respond quickly. We played a lot of adult and junior cricket in a short period of time and had a highly successful season. The  time invested in safe welfare practices was huge, but essential. Thanks must go to the Shepherd Neame Essex League, the County and the local Metropolitan District organisation, whose huge contribution made this possible.

I would also like to thank Lynn and her team for the massive amount of work, which they have done to make the club both safe and welcoming.

Whatever happens over the winter, the club is now in a strong enough position, not only to weather the worst case scenario of the club operating under severe restrictions throughout the winter, but also to plan for the long term future. We now know that even if we have to play a Covid-19 regulated form of cricket again next year, we can do so successfully.

Our resolve is to look after our two lovely grounds and, as a community club, to share them where practical with our local community. We will continue to invest in these  facilities.  

The community spirit at the club has been tremendous this summer. Thanks to all of you the future of the club looks bright even in these very uncertain and difficult times.

Regards, Martin Pluck, Chairman

London and Essex are in COVID-19 Tier 2 – High. This means  you will be subject to further restrictions when visiting the club.

Outside you must still observe the Rule of 6. Remember this limit of 6 includes children of any age.

Inside the clubhouse you must not socialize with friends nor family unless you live with them or have formed a support bubble. The following procedures will apply:

• The bar lounge and hall will be table service ONLY; upon arrival please wait to be seated by a member of the bar staff. Please do not sit down before being seated, as any table will need to cleaned before the next member/s sit down.
• Only people with whom you live or are in your support bubble can sit at your table.
• Please do not approach the bar for service.
• Please wear a face covering except when seated at a table
• Please do your best not to walk around the indoor areas and move between tables and DO NOT move any furniture as it will be organised to ensure social distancing.
• Please keep your distance from other people.

For the moment the bar will be open on Friday evenings from 5.30pm, with last orders at 9.30pm as the premises must be vacated by 10pm, and on Sundays from 12pm to 6pm.

Stay safe.

Following the ECB  Covid-19 guidelines for cricket indoors (click on ECB Indoor Cricket Guidance ) your club has prepared the protocols below. Compliance is a requirement of participation. This protocol does not cover private coaching, which members/juniors partake at your own risk and where members and coaches agree separate contractual arrangements.

• If you or your child feel unwell DO NOT ATTEND any indoor training sessions
• When training or socialising, please maintain social distance of 2 metres from anyone NOT in your household or support bubble.
• The coaches will keep a record of all attendees and their contact details for 21 days.
• Parents and other guests will not be allowed in the venue. Please provide the coach with emergency contact number.
• If possible do not share equipment, including cricket balls.
• Do not add sweat or saliva to the ball at any time.

It MUST be recognised that the guidelines could change in response to the current COVID -19 Alert Level or other government advice. The club’s Welfare Officer (Trevor Hebden) will keep club members and coaches informed.

Parents/Members  are reminded that your club is taking these measures to protect you and your children, but you must decide for yourselves whether to participate, there is absolutely no pressure to do so.

Queries, please do not hesitate to  contact your coach, Trevor Hebden or Jon Gritten

Stuart Philips has decided to retire from the role of Head of Junior Cricket. On behalf of the Management Committee, I would like to thank Stuart for the excellent job he is done over the past 5 years. The Junior section has certainly thrived under his leadership.

The Management Committee is delighted to announce that Jon Gritten has agreed to take on the role. Jon has been a member of the club and been involved with the Junior section for a number of years. I am sure he will do a fantastic job not only in ensuring the junior section continues to thrive but also that the club continues to provide opportunities for young people from whatever background to participate in cricket activities.

Please provide Jon with all the support you can.

Martin Pluck, Chairman

What a great, albeit short season.

The club had a very successful cricket season with the 1^st XI, 2^nd XI and 5^th XI winning their Leagues and the 3^rd XI finishing runners-up by one point! Both the 1^st XI and 2^nd XI went through the League season undefeated.

The U19s won the Essex U19 T20 Competition and the U12s the Brian Taylor Trophy with a last ball victory!

Well done everyone - players, captains, managers, coaches, supporters!



Successful U19 Squad

From 18 September, the club is legally required to have a system to collect Track & Trace data, and to ask members to provide these details when they visit the club. We are required to retain these details for 21 days, and to ensure that the gatherings’ limit of 6 is not exceeded.

We will be using the evePASS system, so please could members download the evePass App ( evePASS ) on your ‘phones and register.  Then on arrival at the club all you have to do is scan the QR code by the main doors.

Otherwise, one of your party will have to inform the bar staff of your name, contact phone number and the number of people in the group.

Thank you for your cooperation.

On Tuesday, 11^th August, the Slow Coaches, led by Joe Palmer Snr played a game against a team of NHS doctors and administrators – the match ending in a tie! During the game Martin presented a cheque for £2,610 to Dr Philip Bennett-Richards. This was the money raised for NHS Charities when we held the Virtual Race Night during lockdown. Thanks again to members for their generosity.

This week Stuart Phillips, Head of Junior Cricket at Wanstead & Snaresbrook Cricket Club, interviews Nav Dwivedi one our young first team players.

We will look to post a new video here every week and you can find this and previous videos on the Wanstead Cricket Club YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3S5FpHkjTzJTlNNtgvalpA
or on our website here.

Congratulations to the following junior members for being selected to receive Jack Petchey Awards for the period September to November 2019. 

Hassan-Ali Iqbal               Age 15

Krishan Arawwawala         Age 16

Anjali Mistry                     Age 12

We are grateful for the generous support the Jack Petchey Foundation provides to us and the local community. 

We are delighted to announce that Keatons, the local estate agents, have agreed to be lead sponsors of the club for another 4 years. We are immensely grateful for their generous support of the club.

If you are thinking of buying, selling or renting a property then make sure you contact their Wanstead office (020 3728 7788) and tell them that you are member of the club.

Fantastic news, the club has received ECB Clubmark accreditation for another 3 years.

ECB Clubmark is an accreditation scheme for cricket clubs and shows that a club is sustainable, well run and provides the right environment for its members. Clubmark accreditation also means your club is recognised as a safe, rewarding and fulfilling place for participants of all ages, as well as assuring parents and carers that they are choosing the right option for their young people.

To obtain accreditation, clubs are asked to provide evidence that they meet a series of criteria. This is done by loading evidence onto an online portal and by demonstrating good practice at a site visit conducted by an allocated Club Support Officer. Special thanks must go to Trevor Hebden who put in over 200 hours of work on this!

A committee under the chairmanship of Matloob Piracha and Len Enoch has prepared a report following a comprehensive members’ survey.  I would like to thank them for all their hard work. Click on the link below to read the report.

By most measures your club has achieved a high level of success over many years. Its progress in adult, women and junior cricket and its exciting community initiatives are widely admired; Wanstead is widely regarded as one of the best cricket clubs in the country.

So what areas can be improved, what steps are necessary to meet the changing environment for recreational cricket. Where do we go from here?

I hope you enjoy reading the report. Matloob, Len or I will do our best to answer any queries you have,

Martin Pluck, Chairman 

Wanstead CC 2018-22 Development Plan.pdf

New data protection legislation came into force on 25th May 2018, which regulates the use of personal data stored. The personal information that members provide to the club will be held electronically and used solely for club activities. This may be shared with team managers, team captains in adult sides and Club Officers to manage members’ registration and participation in games as well as notifying you of club events. A member’s name may appear on the club website as part of managing fixtures and reporting results. Members’ data may be disclosed to other cricket authorities, as necessary, for cricket purposes only. Members have the right to see what data the club has recorded about them, can ask for any incorrect or incomplete data to be corrected or can request that personal data be removed. They can also opt out of receiving information from the club by email, telephone or SMS.

Club Welfare Policy and Practice

You are likely to be aware of recent adverse press coverage on child abuse in sport. At our recent Management Committee meeting I was instructed to reassure you that we have always and will always follow 'best practice' by adopting or exceeding  recommended guidelines. These requirements cover all aspects of the club including the football section.

Full details of policy and practice are contained in the club's Conduct and Child Protestation Policy which is available on our website, www.wanstead.hitscricket.com (follow left hand links via 'Junior Information').

The following summary may help to explain how we address this responsibility:
   - Welfare is the responsibility of the Management Committee which is required to approve policy and to appoint a Welfare Officer, who is a full committee member, with authority to manage all welfare issues and report to Committee members
    - Policy reflects the requirements of the relevant sporting bodies and practical issues such as safety, use of dressing room facilities, cameras and social media. Policy is continually reviewed and regularly updated on the advice of the Welfare Officer.
   - As well as approving policy updates the Management Committee is required to approve membership of a Panel of members recommended by the Welfare Officer to support the welfare process. These Panel members are the 'eyes and ears' of the Welfare Officer  through high availability presence (for example Lynn Rising who serves in the club house during busy junior events and Adnan Akram and Martin Pluck, who provide an important link in the introduction of juniors to adult cricket, are panel members). Some panel members have specific responsibilities, for example in ensuring compliance of volunteer police checks and attending safeguarding and first aid courses and monitoring policy and best practice developments.

Our current Welfare Officer is Trevor Hebden who is highly approachable. Trevor can be contacted in confidence on O7957 620075. As your club Chairman I am also available. Should you feel the need to contact me, my number is O7747 118790.

We want to maintain a safe environment for all members to enjoy their sport. We were one of the first clubs to obtain Clubmark, the sport accreditation scheme for community sports clubs, and we continue to recognize the importance of safe welfare practice.

Best wishes,

Martin Pluck, Chairman,  on behalf of the Management Committee, 1^st December 2016

Did you know that whenever you buy anything online - from your weekly shop to your annual holiday - you could be collecting free donations for the club?

So go to https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/wandscc/ and join for free.

For more details click on Easy Fundraising.pdf