CORSHAM Cricket Club is on a mission to raise £35,000 to improve facilities for its players and local schools.

The club, based in Station Road, is in desperate need of new practice nets as it is due to embark on a pioneering initiative with six local schools next year.

The club has applied for several grants and is currently waiting to hear if its bids have been successful.

Corsham Town Council gave the club's campaign a £2,000 boost this week.

Groundsman, and former club chairman Tony Shardlow said: "The nets have been in a very poor condition for the past ten years and they really are worn to the bone.

"We are going to have local school children visit us for coaching in the spring and using our ground and also we obviously use it a lot ourselves.

"We probably could have got through another year with these nets, but they are in a state and we heard there was money available through grants so we thought we would bite the bullet and apply.

"The applications for the grants are all in the pipeline at the moment so we will have to wait and see."

The new nets will cover three practice lanes.

The cricket club, which has a 160-year history, has applied for grants from various organisations including the Methuen Charitable Trust.

It is taking part in an initiative linking with local schools, which will launch in March and run throughout the summer.

The Chance to Shine campaign is being spearheaded by the Cricket Foundation and aims to bring competitive cricket to a third of all state schools in England and Wales - reaching an estimated two million pupils.

It is being run in conjunction with partners such as clubs, local councils and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Children will visit the Corsham cricket ground to learn the sport and be visited by players in their schools as part of the curriculum.