Tara Murray
Donnybrook Cricket Club has received a massive boost with Platform estate coming on board as a sponsor for the next 10 years.
The estate, which is being built in Donnybrook by Blueways Group, has more than 2000 lots and is becoming a growing community.
Cricket club president Noel Seipolt said while the club has had sponsors over the years, it’s never had a sponsor sign on for 10 years.
He said the deal would help the club become more powerful as the local community grows.
“Andrew Wyatt [from Blueways Group] came down and spoke to us about maybe sponsoring us and it finally happened,” he said.
“Ten years is really good to have a sponsor with all the new stuff coming up around Donnybrook and the club is going to continue to grow.
“There’s a new ground being built. It’s good for the community with lots of people around now, there used to be nobody. “
The club started in 1976 with one side and is now up to at least six sides. It started Milo junior cricket three years ago and last season had three junior teams for the first time.
“We had two under-10s sides and an under-12 side,” Seipolt said.
“Kids are everywhere at training plus there’s their siblings, I’ve never seen anything like it before at the club.”
The club is expecting to grow even more and is set to enter a turf team for the first time in the 2021-22 season when the new ground is complete.
Blueways Group development director Andrew Wyatt said they had never offered a 10-year sponsorship before, but said the decision was reflective of wanting to be part of the community.
“We think investing in local sporting clubs goes hand in glove for us. Offering a 10-year sponsorship is unheard of in sport and the community,” he said.
“Our first thing is to try and get into the local community and give back and support the kids and the local community.
“We’ve done it in other areas. And we think this will be a fun relationship to work with.
“We believe the fabric and the makeup of local areas includes the sporting clubs. The club will grow in numbers and will need that support.”
