CREWE Vagrants are appealing for help to hit a £10,000 fundraising target after the pandemic left the sports complex without any revenue.

Already £5,260 has been raised for the Covid19 Crowdfunder 'Return to Sport Appeal' which is needed to meet utility bills, insurance/financial charges, pitch maintenance as well as the extra costs of implementing Covid-19 safety measures at the Newcastle Road sports site.

While the club has cut its overheads it still needs to generate around £3,000 per month if its sections are to restart again. Football, hockey and squash activities were paused when the lockdown was imposed in March and the cricket season had yet to start.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden's announcement yesterday that grassroots sport will be able to return from this weekend has given Vagrants' officials the impetus to begin opening up the facility. The club's hockey players have returned to training and Crewe CC are set for a return to action with the North Staffordshire and South Cheshire Cricket League pencilling Saturday, July 18 for a start to a shortened season.

A car boot sale is also planned for this Sunday (6am) at the venue.

A Crewe Vagrants spokesman said: "The COVID-19 outbreak brought a halt to our income from the middle of March and all club house events ceased along with all sporting activities within the grounds.

"While still financially sound we have experienced an interruption in income with no social events being held or planned and the cancellations of our weekly car boot sales.The bills have still been arriving for pitch maintenance and the use of utilities - these haven't stopped with Covid-19.

"The Vagrants is more than just a sport club we are a social hub within the community. Without the club, sports and community life at the Vagrants will not continue."

The Vagrants' fundraising has been swelled by an extra £2,500 from a Sport England Grant aimed at helping the sport and physical activity sector through the ongoing crisis. But another £4,740 is needed to be raised by the August 4 deadline.

The money will be used at first to fund the club's running costs and any further cash raised will be be funnelled into modernising and improving facilities.

As well as being a base for cricket and squash, Crewe Vagrants is the home of Crewe and Nantwich Rugby Club and South Cheshire Harriers Running Club.

It also has a vibrant hockey club whose women's section is looking for an experienced coach as part of an overhaul of the the club's coaching structure.

The hockey club is looking for someone who will deliver dynamic and training sessions for the women's 1st and 2nd teams who train together as a dedicated performance group.

Crewe currently has four women's teams in the Cheshire League for the 2020/21 season. The firsts team are aiming for promotion into North West Div Three South next year.

The Vagrants Ladies say the successful candidate will have the opportunity to work with England Under16s Boys Head Coach Mark Bateman.

Georgina Brown, of Crewe Vagrants Hockey Club, said: "Part of the club's progression plan is to implement a new coaching structure for the coming season. The aim of this is to improve our coaching across all levels and to build for the future."

The successful candidate will need to have a formal coaching qualification, experience of hockey coaching and be DBS checked. Payment will be based on the candidate's experience and qualifications and is negotiable.

Anyone interested can email Georgina at [email protected]