Local champions the Castlemaine United Cricket Club is inviting new, past and ‘cricket curious’ players to join their family-friendly club.
As it looks to build on its premiership successes from last season, the club will field men’s, women’s and junior teams, and also run the popular Cricket Blasters program for kids aged 4 to 10.
With the local season beginning soon, people from Castlemaine and beyond are invited to dust off their bat or come and roll their arm over for the first time.
Based at historic and picturesque Camp Reserve in the heart of town, the Castlemaine United Cricket Club is one of the oldest clubs in Victoria. Established in 1881, it continues today as a fun, inclusive and successful club.
With the footy season over, warm weather around the corner and world cricket’s greatest competition The Ashes set to be summer’s backdrop, it’s the perfect time to get involved.
For those keen to support in other ways, the club is always looking for sponsors to help keep the 144-year-old club a strong and vibrant part of the local community.
Women’s team member Andrea Brasher said playing cricket is a great way to get fit and healthy, learn new skills and meet new people in the community.
“The club is part of a welcoming and growing women’s competition, and I’d encourage everyone to give it a try no matter your experience,” Andrea said.
Men’s team member Will Penrose it’s a friendly and passionate cricket family down at Castlemaine United, with a great social environment.
“Whether you’re looking to improve your game or are just getting started, we’d love to see you down at the Camp Reserve,” Will said.
The club holds training on Tuesdays and/or Thursdays from 5pm at the Camp Reserve in Forest Street, Castlemaine or call 0429 053 159 for more information on how you can get involved.
In a first investment of its kind in Australia, the Castlemaine Community Investment Co-operative has now officially purchased the historic Hub building on the corner of Barker and Templeton Streets, Castlemaine.
The Co-operative is a group of residents working together to purchase and manage local properties, taking them out of the speculative real estate market to make them community-owned for good.
The tireless work of the co-operative directors, Angus Grattan, Jeanette Pope, Cath Jolly, Gwen Hanna, Paul van der Wal and Warwick Smith, now maps a path for other communities to establish similar initiatives.
Angus told the Mail they had been dreaming of buying the Hub for two years, and on Tuesday, that dream finally became a reality.
“330 of our 550 members invested. We will pay them back with up to four per cent interest per annum over time. After that, our community will own a significant asset and income stream to use towards the things it cares about,” he said.
Jeanette said they were thrilled they managed to raise the money without donations or grants.
“Our town sees the importance of us owning our own real estate assets, and we hope it provides a model for other communities to buy theirs and become more self-reliant,” she said.
“What’s different about us is that we take loans, rather than shares and provide an interest, which will be paid back, and in 15 years, this building will be wholly community-owned. This means the community will then have the revenue stream to spend on other things it cares about.
“We’ve had about 20 organisations contact us, wanting to find out more so they can replicate it.”
Fellow director Cath Jolly said the next chapter for the Hub would look like business as usual, while the Co-op got across its management.
“We have set up a working group to look after the garden, and we might spruce up the meeting room, but things will stay the same while we pay back our investors,” she said.
Neil and Heather Barrett purchased the property back in 2008 and renovated the building using sustainability principles for it to become the home of the Mount Alexander Sustainability Group. After a few years, they moved on, but the building has remained a hub for sustainability organisations and small businesses that are needed in smaller towns. They are both now members of the co-op.
Warrick – an economist, writer and policy analyst – said community wealth building was part of the town’s wellbeing and helped reorient the economy so it benefited the community and the environment.
“It’s critical that communities can build their own wealth and have a lot more control over it.”
Paul said that while it was too late to invest in the Hub, everyone was still welcome to join the Co-op, which would start looking for other investments in time.
“Come join us at our AGM, 5.30pm, on November 18 at the Castlemaine Town Hall and be part of it,” he said.
