Betteshanger Colliery Welfare CC chairman Clive Towe says a £50,000 grant from the Olympic legacy fund is the biggest boost in the club’s 80-year history.

The cash – part of Sport England’s Inspired Facilities Fund – will go toward a bowling machine, two new practice nets and the refurbishment of storage facilities at their Cavell Square base.

Mr Towe (pictured) said: "We applied toward the end of last year and it was only about three or four weeks before we got the call saying ‘congratulations’, we were getting the award.

"It is fantastic, really good news for the club. Hopefully work will get underway in early June and should take 10-14 days.

"The existing facilities were two small half-nets and they were quite badly damaged as a result of vandalism. Our application was to install a new double full net and security fencing to help prevent vandalism.

"We also wanted junior and senior bowling machines and with the rest of the money we’re going to refurbish the existing storage facilities and make them more secure.

"Obviously it has been done to encourage and improve our existing teams but in the last few years, our junior section has fallen by the wayside a bit.

"You can’t keep encouraging youngsters to come out and use our facilities, they’re just not suitable but once work is complete we’re re-launching out junior section."