Formed in 1847, Norton Cricket Club subsequently moved from their initial location and rented a ground in Station Road, Norton. One hundred years after their formation, at the end of the 1947 season, the club held a Centenary Dinner and, in an after dinner speech, C. L. Townsend urged members to buy the ground, which was in danger of being taken over for housing development. Townsend’s advice was quickly acted upon and the club not only bought the existing land but a further 12 acres to the north. It also became a charitable trust, with the objective of 'promoting the moral and physical well-being of those resident in the parish of Norton and surrounding areas.'
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Yet more development took place in the 1970s and 1980s. Two squash courts were erected and this was followed by an indoor cricket school being built in memory of Victor Avery, a young player killed in the RAF during the War and partially financed by a legacy from his mother.
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Like many organisations, Norton Sports Charity faced some challenging times in the late 2000s but through the commitment of everyone associated with the organisation the situation stabilised. Linked to the Olympic Games in 2012, our facilities have been significantly developed, with grants from the Sport England Inspired Facilities Fund allowing improvements for archery, bowls, cricket, hockey, rugby and squash. In addition, a new multi-purpose pavilion was erected adjacent to the main soccer pitch in 2010 and new floodlit 3G seven-a-side football facilities were completed in 2012. Through recent times there has been increased usage of the site particularly for archery, football (including ladies' football) and rugby, such that the latest estimate for visits to the site is 60,000. |
At the same time, a new Community Interest Company (CIC) owned by the new Charity was created for the purposes of running the non-sporting activities on the site. As such, Norton Sports and Leisure Promotions CIC took over responsibility for running the clubhouse activities on 1st January 2015, following unanimous approval from the members of Norton Sports and Social Club who had previously run these activities.
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