'Together, we can do this': Fundraising appeal launched to rebuild beloved Studley Royal Cricket Club pavilion after devastating fire
A fundraising appeal has been launched to help re-build a much-loved cricket pavilion at Studley Royal in Ripon after it was destroyed in a devastating fire that has left the local cricket community heartbroken.
Studley Royal Cricket Club has set up the Deer Park Pavilion Recovery Fund in a bid to raise £60,000 towards replacing the historic pavilion, which was completely destroyed in a blaze on Sunday, August 30.
The club believes the fire may have been started deliberately and a police investigation is ongoing.
The pavilion, nestled within the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Studley Royal, has been at the heart of the club for generations, serving hundreds of senior and junior cricketers, volunteers and visitors over the years.
In launching the appeal, the club described the loss as far greater than the destruction of a building.
Joanne Nicholson, Organiser of the Deer Park Pavilion Recovery Fund, said: "This is about more than rebuilding a clubhouse.
"It is about protecting a place where generations of cricketers have learned, developed and fallen in love with the game of cricket."
The club say the fire not only claimed an irreplaceable piece of local sporting history but also destroyed all of the club's ground maintenance equipment, match-day kit, scoreboards, furniture and playing equipment.
Adding to the challenge, the historic pavilion was uninsured because of its age and original construction, meaning the club has no way of recovering its losses through insurance.
The replacement project is expected to be particularly complex because the pavilion sits within the protected Studley Royal Deer Park, meaning any rebuild will require planning permission and specialist support.
Despite the devastation, the club says it has been overwhelmed by the support already shown by the local community, with donations beginning to pour in from residents, former players and cricket supporters determined to help restore one of North Yorkshire's most picturesque cricket grounds.
The appeal hopes to raise enough money to replace the pavilion in time for the start of the 2027 cricket season.
North Yorkshire Police and Studley Royal Cricket Club are urging anyone who noticed anything suspicious near the Deer Park ground between 4.30pm and 5.30pm on Sunday, August 30, to come forward.
A spokesperson for the club said: "We need as much information as possible, even if it is the smallest thing – please get in touch with the police or the club.
"It could help us to find who did this and establish what happened to our much-loved pavilion."
While investigations into the fire continue, the club is determined to look ahead by raising the money needed to rebuild its cherished home.
Joanne added: “We do not want to lose this place as our cricketing home.
“We are starting this page as an appeal to our local community to help us with anything you can to get this pavilion back up and running.
“Together, we can do this.”
Anyone wishing to support the appeal can make a donation by visiting https://gofund.me/2e3cebef1