{"id":544891,"date":"2026-03-16T22:10:21","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T22:10:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/544891\/"},"modified":"2026-03-16T22:10:21","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T22:10:21","slug":"how-muff-field-cricket-club-prioritises-sustainability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/544891\/","title":{"rendered":"How Muff Field Cricket Club prioritises sustainability"},"content":{"rendered":"

In this deep-dive into how clubs can become more sustainable, the case study is Muff Field Cricket Club in South Bradford. Their considerable efforts are eye-catching.<\/p>\n

The club has two Saturday teams in the Dales Council Cricket League and a women\u2019s squad who have finished their first indoor season. <\/p>\n

Importantly, for this environmental context, Muff Field Cricket Club is in the Bradford Clean Air Zone (CAZ) and in one of the most deprived communities in the district, ranked No. 2 for deprivation on national indices.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

So, yes, sustainability means clear, environmental wins but it\u2019s as much about futureproofing Muff Field Cricket Club. These projects keep it affordable and accessible for a community where there are major social and economic barriers.<\/p>\n

This is a group of volunteers who have put time into grants applications and given thought to a wide range of ways both club and environment can benefit.<\/p>\n

To clarify, environmental sustainability<\/a> is the use of resources that don\u2019t run out or cause harm, as defined by Greenpeace. With the help of Muff Field\u2019s Treasurer Matt Wilkinson (instrumental in this article), we\u2019ll see that reducing energy, water and fuel costs can be achieved.<\/p>\n

Matt told me: \u201cIt\u2019s important to mention that sustainability, in my eyes, isn\u2019t just about green \u2013 it\u2019s also about the future of clubs. With ever-increasing energy and water costs, anything a club can do to trim the fat, as it were, will undoubtedly help ensure their long-term survival.\u201d<\/p>\n

He acknowledges that without funding support, many of the projects we\u2019re about to discuss wouldn\u2019t be possible. So, there\u2019s definitely a financial reality there that clubs may have to pace themselves \u2013 but Rome wasn\u2019t built in a day.<\/p>\n

Matt reckoned: \u201cFunding alone isn\u2019t always enough. Clubs have to be smart in how they approach projects. Putting in your own time can significantly reduce costs which is especially important when considering grant application limits, and often it\u2019s about looking at what you already have on site that can be reused or repurposed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He cites the use of toilet cistern bags (above) they installed to save water. It\u2019s very little cost compared to the savings they will generate in time \u2013 but half a brick could achieve a similar result. As he put it, sometimes sustainability is about thinking a little differently and making small, practical changes.<\/p>\n

The aim with this article is to spark clubs into pondering what they could start with or try next \u2013 so let\u2019s dive in\u2026<\/p>\n

Solar PV \u2013 Initial Installation (Phase 1) Installed Oct 2023<\/p>\n

Status: Completed<\/p>\n

Cost: \u00a310,500<\/p>\n

Funding: \u00a310,000 \u2013 ECB County Grants Fund,\u00a0 \u00a3500 \u2013 Club contribution<\/p>\n

Savings to date: \u00a32,000 approx<\/p>\n

CO\u2082 saving \u2013 Approx 1 ton per year\u00a0<\/p>\n

Installed System<\/p>\n

12 \u00d7 415 W Tiger Neo N-type panels (~5 kWp)<\/p>\n

GivEnergy 5 kW inverter<\/p>\n

5.12 kWh GivEnergy battery<\/p>\n

Solar installation has allowed Muff Field to produce enough clean, renewable energy (over 4 MWh per year) to power the pavilion during daylight hours. Their battery also captures enough power through the day for their pavilion to run on stored solar energy into evenings for training nights, community sessions, warm spaces and private events.<\/p>\n

Solar power means lower running costs, a better environmental footprint and surplus is returned to the grid for a small but consistent income.<\/p>\n

That first phase came with limitations that led to expanded battery storage and solar by early 2026.<\/p>\n

Chiefly, the capacity from the 5.12 kWh battery was quite small for a multi-use sports facility. As a result, there wasn\u2019t enough energy to be used consistently in evenings or high-demand days. Equally, winter or overcast days meant relying on the grid during peak times.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

2. Expansion of Battery Storage & Solar array \u2013 Phase 2 \u2013 Install date 18th December 2025, into Jan 2026<\/p>\n

Status: Approved; forming part of National Lottery delivery<\/p>\n

Cost: \u00a315,000<\/p>\n

Funding: \u00a315,000 \u2013 National Lottery Awards for All<\/p>\n

Estimated CO\u2082 savings \u2013 1.5ton per year (inc phase 1)<\/p>\n

What\u2019s been installed:<\/p>\n

2 \u00d7 9.5 kWh GivEnergy batteries<\/p>\n

1 \u00d7 5.12 kWh GivEnergy batteries<\/p>\n

6 \u00d7 460 W Aiko Neostar panels (~2.76 kWp)<\/p>\n

Gen 3 5Kwh Inverter<\/p>\n

Energetic game-changer<\/p>\n

Increased battery storage to around 29.24 kWh has been the game-changer. <\/p>\n

This boost in solar capability translates as being comfortably enough energy to run all that the pavilion requires with stored solar power and no reliance on expensive peak-rate electricity.<\/p>\n

Muff Field partnered with Eco Partners, the specialist renewable energy company responsible for delivering Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the solar panel and battery installations.<\/p>\n

Matt said: \u201cEco Partners have provided exceptional technical support, system design, and installation expertise, ensuring that the club achieved maximum value and long-term reliability from both projects.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Rainwater harvesting<\/p>\n

There are a host of other projects that Muff Field completed or have lined up. Rainwater harvesting is one that might feel more attainable for any club given a) the abundant British weather and b) the associated cost to action this.<\/p>\n

The cost was \u00a33,000 and all of it was funded by National Lottery Awards for All. The upgrade meant the installation of a new 1,800-litre rainwater tank that\u2019s fully integrated into the pavilion\u2019s plumbing system.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The rain harvesting tank now feeds the toilets and handwashing sinks, reducing day-to-day water usage and lowering utility costs across the year.<\/p>\n

Phase 2 is increasing storage capacity by a further 4,000 litres in order to water the square across the summer. This cuts down reliance on mains supply when consumption is highest and drought risks escalate (as we saw in Yorkshire in 2025).<\/p>\n

Add in an electric ride-on mower (see photo below) already in use at their Sunny Bank Road HQ (Cost: \u00a38,000, Fully funded by the West Yorkshire Mayor\u2019s Sustainability Fund) and you get the picture that this is one proactive community, powered by the sun and their own work ethic.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Future goals<\/p>\n

Short of a fully recycled Matt Wilkinson, you could imagine Muff Field Cricket Club might settle on that litany of improvements to bank balance and planet.<\/p>\n

An air-to-heat pump system was on their radar to replace ageing and inefficient LPG gas burners that warm the pavilion. (That has since been installed too). They even have their eye on a wind turbine for good measure.<\/p>\n

I know what clubs might be thinking. All power to your elbow (in need of a tubigrip from all of those grant applications) but we aren\u2019t in a city where there is a funding focus of this kind. Nor do we qualify for all of those grants.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a valid point but there\u2019s always something clubs can do to save money and be more sustainable. Approaches such as retaining winter rainfall to use in summer on pitches or exploring how to become more energy efficient and keep bills down. (That needn\u2019t involve solar panels).<\/p>\n

In the case of Muff Field, they will save around 2 tonnes of CO\u2082 a year which is a notable achievement for a club with a small footprint. That\u2019s the equivalent of petrol emissions of 8,000 car miles or the annual carbon absorption of around 90 mature trees.<\/p>\n

As ever with stats, it\u2019s not about the numbers but the real-world impact, both planetary and monetary.<\/p>\n

\"saltaire<\/p>\n

The recreational game has its role to play without solving the world\u2019s problems. We have certainly seen the impact. In club cricket, the weather extremes has affected us all. Persistent flooding sit alongside droughts and the warmest year since 1844.<\/p>\n

Whatever reasons are behind why cricket clubs opt for sustainability and however they choose to implement them is a moot point. It will be down to volunteer time, success with grants, financial security along with geographical and site-specific factors.<\/p>\n

What Muff Field have put in place shows the art of the possible and they are not stopping there. <\/p>\n

Matt said: \u201cWe want to continue reducing dependence on fossil fuels, lower annual operating costs and position Muff Field as one of the most environmentally advanced community cricket clubs in Yorkshire.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Inspired for your own club?<\/p>\n

The ECB\u2019s Sustainability Resources<\/a> are a good place to start with guides to reduce energy consumption, prevent flooding and more.<\/p>\n

Sport England\u2019s Buddle website (formerly Club Matters) has advice on environmental sustainability<\/a> for clubs and community groups.<\/p>\n

\"John<\/a> <\/p>\n

Founder of Cricket Yorkshire, Author of Dales, Bails and Cricket Club Tales, All Wickets Great & Small and Last of the Summer Wickets.<\/p>\n

\"John<\/a>Latest posts by John Fuller (see all<\/a>) <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In this deep-dive into how clubs can become more sustainable, the case study is Muff Field Cricket Club…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":544892,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[564],"tags":[64,63,740,85],"class_list":["post-544891","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cricket","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-cricket","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/544891","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=544891"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/544891\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/544892"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=544891"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=544891"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=544891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}