Despite the wind and rain, Saturday 27^th April 2019 saw the first cricket matches taking place at the Woodlands sports pitches for three years, with friendly matches played between Bretton Cricket Club and Bharat Sports Cricket Club.

The sports pitches in Castor have been unused since 2015. Nene Park Trust took over their management in 2017 and after considerable maintenance work, the pitches are now ready for use once again. The cricket season was opened on Saturday with Bretton Cricket Club and Bharat Sports Cricket Club playing friendly matches to mark the momentous occasion. Thorpe Wood Rangers football team will also be making their home at Woodlands, with football training starting there next month. Castor and Ailsworth Tennis Club will be joining them in the future as new tennis courts will be created.

New Portakabins have been installed at the ground offering toilets, showers, changing facilities and space for refreshments and meeting together.

Nene Park Trust is very pleased that these facilities are back in use by the local community, promoting sport and public health in line with its charitable objectives. Andrew MacDermott, Head of Development at Nene Park Trust said, “It has been a real pleasure to see sports clubs back at Woodlands after some hard work across the Nene Park team and partners to get the facilities and pitches in place and up to standard.”

The revival of Woodlands would not have been possible without the sizable donation of £5,000 from the Football Foundation to help maintain the pitches and the generous contribution from the Viridor in Peterborough Fund to purchase the majority of equipment needed.

Nene Park Trust are now working on plans for permanent onsite facilities, in the form of a new pavilion.  This will provide long term sustainability and, we hope, accommodate a range of community uses above and beyond the sports which have now returned.