TWO years of hard work paid off when Wisbech Town Cricket Club achieved the nationally-recognised Club Mark status. The club is now officially recognised as a safe place for children and adults to play cricket. It will help the club receive grants and spo

TWO years of hard work paid off when Wisbech Town Cricket Club achieved the nationally-recognised Club Mark status.

The club is now officially recognised as a safe place for children and adults to play cricket.

It will help the club receive grants and sponsorship.

Wisbech Town youth development officer Dominic Stannard said: "It took a lot of hard work for us to achieve this accreditation, but it was worth it.

"It will enable us to secure funding to help the club grow. It raises our prestige and gives parents assurances that Wisbech Town Cricket Club is a good and safe place for their children to come. It should help us grow and increase our membership."

The club spent the last two years working with the England and Wales Cricket Board's Cambridgeshire County Development Officer Jenny Lowe.

They had to produce a development plan which sets out what the club plans to do in the next few years and, how it plans to improve.

It also had to undertake a safety check inspection at a training session and produce an evidence file which shows that the club runs to the guidelines in the areas of their playing programme, duty of care and child protection, sports equality and ethics

club management.

The club currently has six junior teams, four adult Saturday sides and will increase from two to three Sunday teams next season.

There are also plans to run a girls team in the future.

Mr Stannard said: "I think we impressed the board with the amount of work we do to get youngsters at the club qualified as coaches and the amount of communication we have with members and their parents.

"Many people see us as a family club and it's a wonderful environment for children and families to thrive in.