Gedling Colliery CC will benefit from national media coverage and high-profile workmen after being named as a showcase club for ECB Cricket Force 2010.

England players are expected to join members of the club’s junior and senior sections and a team of volunteers to tackle as many as 40 projects to improve facilities after the club was chosen to become one of three clubs to receive special help from the ECB.

The scheme encourages all clubs to engage new volunteers to assist with the maintenance of facilities at grassroots level.

“Our committee have identified 40 projects ranging from re-painting our sight screens to re-tiling the pavilion roof and without the support of the ECB Cricket Force scheme, these would take us around ten years to complete,” said Andrew Whitaker, the club’s junior co-ordinator.

“We rely on volunteers and we’ve had a tremendous amount of support pledged since we learned that we were to become a showcase club.”

The club have already had pledges of support from individuals and businesses and are keen to attract more to fulfil their targets.

“We had a meeting at Trent Bridge and were delighted with the response of all club members from both senior and junior sections,” said Andrew.

“We’re looking to find people who can give us some of their time to manage an aspect of the project and to see it through to completion.”

The projects will culminate on Saturday 27th March when an army of volunteers will descend on the ground to complete the work.