Entry open for the 2024 Voneus Village Cup Community Legends competition

The competition is open to all 2024 Voneus Village Cup clubs and entries must be received by Sunday, May 19

Is your club at the heart of the community? Is it a place for everybody? Do you have a thriving junior section? Are you championing sustainability?

If the answer to any of those questions in yes, then it’s time to enter the Voneus Village Cup Community Legends competition and put your club in the mix to win £500 and party with an Ashes winner.

Launched in 2023, the Community Legends award puts a spotlight on village cricket clubs who are vital to the communities they represent, with the winner receiving 20 tickets for the 2024 Voneus Village Cup final at Lord's as well as £500 to put towards the Ultimate End of Season Do, which will be attended by former England international, and Voneus ambassador, Lydia Greenway.

^{2023 Community Legends Ashmanhaugh & Barton Wanderers with Lydia Greenway at Lord's [Paul Carroll Photography]}

Ashmanhaugh & Barton Wanderers, from Norfolk, scooped the £500 prize in 2023. The exclusively volunteer-run club has become a focal point for two villages since the merger of past rivals Ashmanhaugh and Norwich & Coltishall Wanderers in 2012, with their clubhouse and playing facilities hosting anyone and everyone, from parish council meetings to a bowls club and local joggers. On the field, the club boasts three Saturday teams, two Sunday teams, and junior sides from All Stars through to Under-19s.

Following a successful season during which they reached the quarter-finals of the Village Cup, ABWCC brought the curtain down on 2023 in style, with their Ultimate End of Season Do featuring a six-a-side tournament, a performance from Spangle Steel Pan Band, a bouncy castle, and more.

"It was superb event," said club volunteer, Jayne Everett. "Free afternoon tea, a barbecue in the evening, villagers and friends turning up with food – we were all staggered by how many people arrived! They really do support the club in so many ways. So many people have worked so hard over the years to get us to this point, where every aspect of the club is thriving."

Entry will now remain open until Sunday, May 19, with the winner announced in July. Entrants must be involved in the 2024 Voneus Village Cup and show that they excel in one or more of the following areas:

• Pillar of the community: Your club is at the heart of the community – not just on the field of play
• Commitment to the future: Your club is investing in the growth of junior cricket and age-group teams
• A place for everybody: Your club integrates a diverse range of members from the local community on and off the pitch
• Sustainability champions: Your club is encouraging green initiatives to reduce its impact on the rural environment

To nominate your club, visit www.nationalvillagecup.com/communitylegends      

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