CRUNCH TIME FOR GROVEHILL BALLPARK DEVELOPMENT

In July 2007 Herts Baseball Club started to put together a plan for improvements of Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead and the creation of a second baseball diamond to accommodate the growing number of baseball players and teams in and around Hertfordshire.

The club carried out an extensive consultation process with relevant organisations and authorities including Dacorum Borough Council, Herts Sports Partnership, Dacorum Sports Network, Awards for All and others.  In January 2008 Herts Baseball Club presented the plans, which if realized would make Grovehill Ballpark one of the best baseball facilities in the country. 

Large part of the project is to be funded by a government grant with the rest of the funds provided by the club and its members.  The Awards for All grant application has been submitted but in order to make a decision whether or not to approve the grant, Awards for All and everyone connected with Herts Baseball Club and British baseball is awaiting a decision from Dacorum Borough Council.

Provided that Dacorum Borough Council gives the go-ahead for the project, this would result in well over £10,000 being invested in improving Grovehill Playing Fields, which certainly would be fantastic news for users of the facility and local residents alike, who undoubtedly have noticed the vigour which Herts Baseball Club has brought to what is considered to be a neglected part of Hemel Hempstead.

Club President, Aspi Dimitrov, said: “Many see Grovehill as a developing area in Hemel Hempstead, and for those of us connected with our baseball club this is our home and we want to make it better.  If we achieve our targets, in 5 years’ time our club expects to have 5 adult teams and 16 Little League teams with a total of 400 adult and youth players.  But we need to develop our baseball facilities if we are to accommodate this unprecedented growth in baseball in Hertfordshire”.  Dimitrov added: “Over the years Dacorum Borough Council have been fantastic to our club and we hope they will recognize the positive effect which our club has on the local community.”

While awaiting a decision from Dacorum Borough Council, Herts Baseball Club has been working hard to raise funds for the second stage of development which will involve the resurfacing of the turf designated for the second baseball diamond.  The head of sponsorship at the club, Marty Cullen, has already signed a contract for the club with BMW and MINI as official sponsors of Herts Baseball Club and the Herts Baseball Little League, respectively.  The value of the sponsorship is a four-digit sum which has brought the club closer to reaching the target for stage 2 of development.

Additionally, a Fundraising Forum has been established by members and volunteers connected with the club and this is already bearing fruit with various fund-raising events already scheduled this year.

These are exciting times for Herts Baseball Club and for the local community with a rising number of residents getting involved.  To accommodate this growth the club is relying on receiving a go-ahead from the local government.  Members of the club are holding their breath in anticipation of the decision from Dacorum Borough Council.