Budleigh’s hotly anticipated new cricket club is close to completion, thanks to a mammoth fundraising effort.

Support from the town has been 'overwhelming', according to the club's director Bill Roper, who is urging those not already involved to be part of the project and have their name on the new clubhouse’s Roll of Honour.

The ‘Buy a Brick’ scheme, that has raised £16,000 so far towards the state-of-the-art club and community venue due to open in mid November, will finish this autumn.

The relocation from the club’s Ottermouth Ground was part of the Environment Agency’s £15m Lower Otter Restoration Project. Its new home on East Budleigh Road, The Holt, has two pitches, training facilities and a state of the art clubhouse and is designed to host minor county cricket, league and youth cricket, women’s cricket and disability cricket. A full season of cricket has been played at the Holt this year, with a marquee serving as a temporary clubhouse.

The club has battled rising material costs and a challenging fundraising climate to get the build complete and now needs a final cash injection to fully equip the building.

Bill said: “We need around £50k to get to the stage where we can fit out the changing rooms, buy additional equipment for disability cricket and fully furnish the clubhouse.

"The challenge of rising costs has meant that the money for these things has had to be diverted into the core clubhouse build to get us to this stage.

"We can't wait to throw open our doors to the public and already have bookings for people wishing to hire our event space for their special occasions.”

The Buy a Brick scheme involves supporters paying £100, £250 or £500+ to have their name on a permanent roll of honour in the new pavilion acknowledging their support for the project. The club is also open to selling naming rights for its two pitches to businesses or individuals.

To take part in the Buy a Brick Scheme visit https://www.bsccbuyabrick.co.uk, pick up a form in The Treasury shop, Budleigh High Street, or call 07766 395973. To hire the function space call 07846 727241.