Basing Hill Ballpark (baseball activities for kids and adults)

The Pitch

Problem statement

Herts Baseball Club established its north west London branch in 2019 in Basing Hill Park. The playing field had deteriorated over many years. It was last used by football teams more than 15 years ago. The club ran two successful crowdfunding campaigns raising over £40,000 to level and resurface the field with new grass and also to install the baseball elements including the backstop, infield perimeter fence, cutout clay areas around the bases and pitcher’s mound. The next step for the club is to expand and enhance the baseball activities on offer for the local community.

Solution

In addition to the adult and youth league games at Basing Hill Ballpark, the club wants to bring the experience closer to the standard enjoyed in other countries where there are baseball batting practice places in every neighbourhood. To do this we require a pitching machine which can deliver pitches all day long, with accuracy and at a speed which can be adjusted between 25mph and 100mph to correspond to the age and level of the player. It can also be used for a wide variety of fielding drills. It requires just 1 or 2 members of staff to run an event. It can also run as a fun activity on game days making it even easier for the local community to try baseball and fall in love with the game.

Why are we best placed to deliver?

Despite the poor state of the playing field and Covid, the number of baseball players in NW London continued to grow. In 2021 the club had 65 registered adult and youth members based at Basing Hill. This pushed the overall number of club members up by 44% to 200. The 2022 baseball season has just started and the number of players at Basing Hill Ballpark has grown further – 82 registered adult and youth team players so far this season Herts Baseball Club has an excellent track record of delivering projects successfully, on time and within budget. We are on track to repeat the success of our Hemel Hempstead branch which has made Herts Baseball Club one of the largest baseball clubs in the UK.

Focus Areas

Delivery plan

Budget breakdown

Beneficiaries

140 people

Expected impact

• satisfy the enormous demand for extra batting practice form existing players and the wider community• Add a fun baseball activity for kids and adults accessible throughout the year during game day events or on any other day of the week.• opportunity for male and female players of all ages (6 to 60+) to play a different sport which is proving to be very popular.• everyone plays regardless of their ability• batting practice is a baseball activity enjoyed by the casual player and the more advanced player.• Adding more activities is expected to reduce anti-social behaviour and crime in and around the park.• number of participants has been growing even faster since the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox played at the London Stadium in 2019. MLB is continuing to stage official league games in London in future years and investing into introducing baseball in schools around London.

Track record

Over the years we have successfully delivered projects which involved: • raising funds • working with contractors and architects • receiving planning permission • delivering the project successfully and on time • hosting national and international events • seen further club growth • carried out on-going maintenance of the venue & repair of vandalised assets • The club now has 200 club members, 11 executive board members with experience in business management, accounting, law, architecture, construction, ground maintenance, journalism, education and other fields.

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