A husband-and-wife partnership from Chepstow is knocking it out of the park at Chepstow Cricket Club as they dedicate much of their spare time to supporting their local club.
Brent and Liz Harkins have been involved in the club for over 10 years, giving on average 15 hours per week during the season. And, to support their efforts this year their employer, Wales & West Utilities, has donated £600 which will go towards new equipment.
Head of Procurement & Operation Support at the gas emergency and pipeline service, Brent, continues to captain the third team ‘Brent’s Army’, whilst also serving as a committee member and coach to the women’s team, the Chepstow Chipettes. Meanwhile Internal Communications Manager, Liz, is always on hand to support, which can include anything from washing kits, preparing refreshments or ferrying team members to and from games.
Liz explains:
As a family, the cricket club has been a huge part of our life since we moved here over 10 years ago. Our summers are always cricket-filled and all three of our children, now 14, 18 and 20, are still part of the club.
Brent, particularly, gives up a huge amount of time to the club, so we were both delighted that our employer donated this money to recognise our volunteering efforts. It will make a huge difference to the club and will go towards some new cricket nets that players will benefit from for years to come.
Wales & West Utilities provided the funding as part of its commitment to support the communities it serves and by way of supporting the volunteer efforts of its colleagues.
Bethan Jones, Head of People & Engagement at Wales & West Utilities, said:
Brent and Liz are doing a sterling job in putting others first and it's evident that so many people in the local Chepstow community are benefitting from their efforts. We hope this donation will support the club so that more people can benefit for many years.
Our colleagues go the extra mile to support the communities in which they live, and work, and we are always delighted to support their efforts. We wish Chepstow Cricket Club the very best for the rest of the season.
Club Chairman Jonny Huws said
Chepstow Cricket Club is incredibly grateful for the sponsorship from Wales & West Utilities, as well as the time the Harkins family spend volunteering at the club every summer. We try and make cricket as affordable as possible for our members, especially our junior section, and sponsorship from local businesses plays a huge part in that. Thank you!
Wales & West Utilities, the gas emergency and pipeline service, brings energy to 7.5m people across the south west of England and Wales. If you smell gas, or suspect the presence of carbon monoxide, call us on 0800 111 999 straight away, and our engineers will be there to help any time of day or night.