A FUNDRAISING target of £3,000 has been set to make Whitchurch Cricket Club safe from vandals after a number of ‘heartbreaking’ attacks.

The cricket club, in Heath Road, had both front and back windows and doors smashed at the start of October by mindless vandals.

A fundraising campaign has now been set up to ensure the club can replace the smashed windows without having to dip further into its own funds.

Committee member Emma Portas, speaking to BBC Radio Shropshire, explained what has happened to the club over the last 12 months including having to replace food for a county match because of more vandalism.

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She said: “The first instance was October/November last year (2022) and all the rear windows of the clubhouse and the fire exit door was smashed.

“On October 5 this year we had the rear windows and the fire door smashed again, and one of our lovely committee members did some immediate repairs and boarded it up for us.

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“Then four days later on the Monday, they came back and smashed the front windows and the doors to the clubhouse.

“That’s the most recent one but prior to that in the summer, we hosted a county match for Shropshire against Wiltshire and before that, they smashed the windows to the rear of the building which spread glass into the food that was going to be provided for the county game.

“As committee members, as a parent of a player at the club and also as a player, we give it our all and it’s absolutely heartbreaking.”

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Emma said that the club has tried to take the damage on the chin, but admitted it had been an emotional time when more happened.

She added: “We were in pieces as you would be because we give our heart and soul to the club, to provide a welcome and safe environment for junior and adult players.

“To be targeted like this, it’s gutting – we’re all very emotional about it.

“At the moment we’re into the early thousands for costs because each pane of glass has to be replaced and as we’re a cricket club, it can’t be normal glass as it has to withstand the impact of a cricket ball hitting it.

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“This is why we’ve set the crowd funder at £3,000 as it should replace the glass and also go towards shutters for the front.

“We’ve also had to use some sponsor money that would normally be used for player recruitment, for the juniors, the adults, and the ground maintenance to make sure it’s ready for next year.”

To donate, head to https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/whitchurch-cricket-club