​The Southwark Community Sports Trust (SCST) was formed in 2011 and became a registered charity
in 2022. The SCST has always been dedicated to providing high-quality, affordable sports facilities for
the local community and the surrounding areas. By promoting physical activity, teamwork, and social
well-being, the SCST has become a vital part of the Southwark sporting community, contributing to
the overall health and development of individuals across all ages and backgrounds.

Our Mission and Vision

​SCST’s purpose is simple but powerful: to improve the quality of life for local residents by offering safe, accessible, and inclusive sports and recreation opportunities. In addition to supporting local residents, our facilities attract individuals and groups from across the city, drawing in players, families, and sports enthusiasts from a wide area. We manage and operate the Dulwich Sports Ground and the Hollies Sports Ground, providing facilities for cricket, football, rugby, and other sporting and educational activities. These grounds, used by community clubs and local schools, help promote physical fitness, teamwork, and community spirit.
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​Our Facilities and Achievements

• Sports Grounds: SCST manages 39 acres of sports grounds, including multiple pitches an training areas for football, rugby, and cricket. We provide facilities for local schools community groups, and amateur sports clubs.
• Football: In the past year alone, SCST hosted 605 football matches, averaging 21 matche per week, involving senior and junior clubs. Over 10,000 players, coaches, and spectator use our football grounds annually, including major clubs like Dulwich Village FC and South Bank Cuaco Football Club.
• Cricket: Our cricket facilities saw 479 matches in the summer, with both grass and artificia wickets being fully utilized. Dulwich Cricket Club (DCC), one of our key users, has one of th largest junior sections in Southern England, with over 700 juniors actively participating. I addition to this, we proudly support over 120 women who play cricket annually at th Dulwich Sports Ground. Clubs like Dulwich Cricket Club and Ploughmans Cricket Club ar some of our biggest users, keeping our facilities thriving throughout the cricket season.
• Rugby: Many rugby games are organized throughout the year, with King’s College Hospita RFC being a major user. We are committed to enhancing rugby participation and support in more local rugby teams in the future.

The impact of the Dulwich Sports Ground Facilities Upgrade and SCST' Contribution to the Community

The planned upgrades to our facilities will significantly enhance the lives of many community members and further strengthen the positive impact SCST already has on the local area. These improvements will benefit a wide range of individuals, including older adults, young people, women and girls, people with disabilities, those facing racial or ethnic inequities, and economically disadvantaged individuals.

Older Adults: We are delighted to see older adults actively participating in cricket and other sports. SCST’s inclusive approach embraces all age groups, fostering an environment where everyone can enjoy sports and community activities.

Young People: By improving the sports grounds, SCST will offer more opportunities for youth to engage in organized sports like football, rugby, and cricket, promoting discipline, teamwork, and physical fitness. The improved amenities will make the space more appealing for schools and youth clubs, helping to reduce youth crime and anti-social behavior through positive activities.

Women and Girls: The upgraded shower and toilet facilities will encourage more female participation in sports. We anticipate a measurable increase in women’s and girls's involvement in various sports activities, promoting gender equality and empowerment in the community.

Inclusivity and Diversity: SCST is committed to being an open and inclusive facility for everyone, regardless of race, religion, gender, or background, including both binary and non- binary identities. We welcome all members of our diverse community to use our facilities for various sports like cricket, football, rugby, and other activities. Should individuals or groups wish to engage in different outdoor activities, we encourage them to reach out to the Trust, and we will consider all requests based on availability.

People with Disabilities: The planned improvements to accessibility will make the sports ground a more inclusive environment for people with disabilities. Increased participation in adaptive sports and inclusive events will promote both physical and mental health, ensuring everyone has the chance to enjoy and benefit from our facilities.

Economically Disadvantaged Individuals: The upgraded facilities will offer affordable access to high-quality sports amenities for economically disadvantaged groups. By reducing barriers to participation, SCST will enable more people to enjoy the physical and social benefits of organized sports and activities.
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​SCST’s work goes beyond just sports.

By creating safe, inclusive, and welcoming spaces, we foster community engagement, improve mental and physical well-being, and provide vital social opportunities for all groups in Southwark and beyond.

Our commitment to inclusivity and accessibility ensures that everyone—regardless of age, background, or ability—can participate in sports, build connections, and enhance their quality of life.


​Join Us in Making a Difference

For specific, detailed information on sponsorship opportunities, please contact Rahul Nair at 07544262499 or via email at [email protected].

For more information or to discuss other sponsorship opportunities, please contact Rahul Nair by email or use our website contact page.

In the heart of Dulwich lies a haven for cricket enthusiasts – the Dulwich Sports Ground. Here, the passion for the sport intertwines with the spirit of community, creating a vibrant space where dreams are nurtured and victories celebrated. But behind the scenes, a dedicated team works tirelessly to maintain the grounds, ensuring that every pitch is primed for play.

As the Southwark Sports Community Trust, we take pride in fostering excellence and inclusivity in sports. Our commitment extends beyond the boundaries of the field; it resonates in our pledge to uphold sustainability and efficiency in our operations. Today, we invite you to be a part of a transformative journey as we introduce a groundbreaking solution: a top-quality electric pitch roller.

Transforming Maintenance:
The Dulwich Sports Ground stands as a testament to our dedication to providing top-notch facilities. However, the upkeep of these grounds demands both effort and resources. With our current roller nearing its lifespan, investing in a top-quality electric pitch roller emerges as a beacon of innovation, promising to revolutionize our maintenance processes. Its lithium electric/hydraulic power ensures unparalleled efficiency, granting our groundstaff extended rolling capacity on a single charge. This means more time spent perfecting pitches and less on recharging or refueling.

Seamless Integration:
Change can be daunting, but the transition to a top-quality electric pitch roller is anything but. Designed with user-friendliness in mind, it retains the familiar operation of its petrol engine counterparts. Moreover, standard power steering enhances maneuverability, making maintenance a breeze for our groundstaff. With this seamless integration, we ensure a smooth transition towards greater efficiency and sustainability.

A Commitment to Sustainability:
At the core of our mission lies a profound commitment to sustainability. The adoption of a top-quality electric pitch roller embodies this ethos, offering a green alternative that reduces our carbon footprint and contributes positively to climate change mitigation efforts. By embracing this technology, we not only improve our operations but also set a precedent for environmentally conscious sports facility management. Every roll forward with an electric pitch roller is a step towards a greener, more sustainable future.

Join Us in Making a Difference:
We invite you to join us in our mission to elevate sports facility management and champion sustainability. Your support as a sponsor will not only facilitate the acquisition of the best electric pitch roller available but also contribute to the advancement of our community's sporting endeavors. Every donation, no matter the size, makes a tangible difference in the lives of athletes and the preservation of our environment.

Thank You for Your Contribution:
Thank you in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to us and our charity. Your generosity will pave the way for a brighter, more sustainable future for sports at Dulwich. Together, we can achieve remarkable feats on and off the field. Together, we can make a lasting impact that resonates far beyond the boundaries of the cricket pitch.

With gratitude,
Southwark Sports Community Trust

Dulwich Society advertising an on-line talk on Tuesday 7th November at 8pm entitled the River Effra a South London Vanishing Act: online local history talk by Jon Newman


The talk will focus on the River Effra, its local Dulwich connections, its disappearance within Bazalgette's 1860s drainage works and its curious and enduring presence today.  I am sure that it will cover the river running near and under our sports ground.
 
Tickets £5. Time: 8.00p

The talk will focus on the River Effra, its local Dulwich connections, its disappearance within Bazalgette's 1860s drainage works and its curious and enduring presence today.  I am sure that it will cover the river running near and under our sports ground.
 
Tickets £5. Time: 8.00p

The first game of the cricket season was rescued with the help of the amazing groundsmen and co-ordination between the trust (SCST), Ploughmans CC and South Bank CC. A memorial game was arranged in the memoray of Ploughman's CC player Nasser Khan.

Somehow we beat the rain to get 80 overs of cricket thanks to the DSG team, and our friends at @southbankcc

Great to start the year with so many players, old and new, with family and friends down to start this #HotPloughSummer

#cricket #cricketlover #surrey #southlondon #Summer

Perfect: New astro turf outdoor seating area, come rain or shine.

#dsg #scst #summercricket #cricketlondon #dulwichsportsground

March 16, 2023, A summer users meeting was held at the Pavilion by SCST. The attendees included South Bank CC, Ploughmans CC, Dulwich CC, BOCA, SCST representatives Jackie Howard, John Howard (JH), and John Smith (JS), as well as Sportsturf representatives Andy Allen and Rory Moore. Several topics were discussed, including dressing room allocations, teas, and catering, and the opening of the bar.

Sportsturf noted that the grounds at the Dulwich Sports Ground were very busy with cricket being played virtually every day and usually on 3-4 squares. The wickets on the Burbage & Hollies pitches had improved by 30-50 runs per match, but the Belair pitch looked tired by the end of the season with some low bounce, and the Nursery pitch had improved least and may need more work. The outfields had held up despite the major drought from July.
Winter renovations had been completed by the end of September, and the squares were ahead of schedule until the freeze in mid-March. A Football Foundation improvement grant was spent on verti-draining, fertiliser & seed on all football pitches, which should result in improved outfields.
The "house rules" for the use of the ground were discussed and agreed upon, including no use of sawdust on the square, squeegee drying rollers can be used on outfields but never on the square, bowlers should not use studs to mark run ups, and batsmen should not damage the pitch by making excessive marks on the crease.
Volunteer help from clubs was offered to Sportsturf if needed, and good communication between ground staff and skippers was emphasized as key to a successful summer.

The SCST (Southwark Community Sports Trust) has been making significant improvements to the sports ground over the autumn and early spring. Sportsturf and contractors were brought in to clean up the edges of the ground, including removing low-hanging tree branches and shrubs. The Hollies were particularly affected, with sleeper maintenance being used to maintain the western boundary. The SCST has also invested in renovating the artificial surfaces, including new surfaces for the outdoor nets and a new artificial pitch on the Hollies. The SCST equipment, including sight screens, covers, and scoreboards, has been checked and prepared for use. Drainage issues have been addressed throughout the whole ground

There was also a detailed discussion on preparations for the upcoming season.
The following is a summary of the key points discussed:

1. The club has received money from Southwark Council to improve the outfield.
2. The club is currently in the process of obtaining insurance for the upcoming season.
3. The new bar manager, Neil, has been introduced.
4. The club has received new cricket covers, which will be used for the first time this season.
5. The club is looking for volunteers to help with the preparation of the cricket pitch.
6. The club is in the process of planning a fundraising event in June.
7. Prasanna volunteered to recruit volunteers for a task force activity at the Trust on 1st April from 11am-1pm. The list of jobs includes replacing tarpaulin on Cricket covers, applying hoses to all covers, checking cricket stumps, bails and flags, and checking that dressing rooms are ready for use.
8. Last Man Stands cricket has requested three artificial pitches on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesday & Thursdays from 6-30pm in May and June.
9. The club uses Open Play to record all fixtures and activities, with updates sent out every Monday and Friday. Simon Bannon publishes all matches on the TV screens on the veranda every Saturday and Sunday morning. Rahul Nair was introduced as a volunteer who will introduce social media information and good news stories.
10. The club reinforced their policy on cancellations, with decisions being made by Friday of each week based on pitch readiness and weather forecasts. A final deadline of 10-30am on the day of the game was agreed upon for cancellations.
11. Dressing room allocations: John Howard confirmed that the 2022 dressing room allocation would remain the same, with a separate dressing room for junior teams in the afternoon. Clubs were reminded to check their dressing rooms at the task force day and John planned to clean the showers and dressing rooms extensively over Easter. Jackie suggested setting up signs after Easter.
12. Teas and catering: Teas for a match would now cost £120, with payment by cash or card. Dietary requirements should be notified to Jackie by mid-week. Jackie also included 20 over interval drinks and was happy to help with supper or BBQ options for some evenings. Nidhi and Jackie were exploring options for coffees/breakfast for junior cricket. The use of paper plates helped keep prices down.
13. The opening of the Bar: The old artificial surfaces had been re-laid in the beer garden area, and new benches would be secured and taken to each of the four pitches. The picket fence would be painted and installed around Easter time, and the bar would receive a spring clean. New bar staff were being recruited to meet demand, and suggestions for improvement were welcome. Ploughmans CC had bought 150 recyclable cups, and John and Jackie welcomed ideas to improve the use of recyclable “glasses” for outdoor drinking.
14. Date of next meeting: No further business was discussed, and JS suggested establishing a WhatsApp forum rather than scheduling another meeting. The possibility of a review at the end of the season was also mentioned.

Overall, the meeting covered a range of topics including fundraising, recruitment, and the upcoming cricket season.

 ​What a great effort yesterday! Thank you to you all for help and support at the task force day. Can you send out this note and photographs to your team of helpers.
 
It was a great piece of team work by the home clubs – Dulwich CC, South Bank CC and Ploughmans CC sent in plenty of volunteers. A very worthwhile day. Particular thanks to John Howard who supplied the tools and materials.  Yesterday’s work created a new shed ready to be made into a scorebox, all the cricket covers had tarpaulin replaced & cleaned, new hoses & gullies cleaned, a scoreboard painted in the Hollies and a the Ploughmans CC home dressing room painted in blue & gold.
 
It was a brilliant effort and we would like to keep up the momentum by asking teams to come an hour earlier before their games for the next two weekends – Saturday 16th and 23rd April as we have a couple of tasks left. Could skippers contact John to agree how they can help.
 
We would like to paint the front of the new score-box black, re-slat & move the sightscreens, set out boundary ropes and sweep all the astro-surfaces.
 
John Howard, the winter users and Sportsturf will be working this week on clearing away the winter sports equipment, taking down the rugby posts and clearing away and storing safely all our machinery.
 
At the same time, John Howard is planning a major offensive against litter and debris about the place. All pitches will have litter bins. Please encourage your fellow players to use them.

I ​am sure that we are all hoping for a long summer of cricket. At the Trust, we look forward to seeing you and your members soon. The SCST is delighted to announce that we have renovated our outdoor cricket nets under John Howard’s direction. I hope that users can treat them with respect, for instance spiked shoes cannot be used.  
 
I hope that we can ease our way into outdoor cricket practice.
 
We are starting with one to one coaching for our selected individual coaches. As members, they can book single lanes of nets and use them for 1:1 coaching. I confirm all bookings for cricket nets on our ground management system Open Play. The system is shared with the ground staff, bar and Trust managers.  A key principle is to avoid double bookings. We expect to be busy and to tightly schedule use, therefore we ask for prompt starts and finishes.
 
According to the ECB road map (please see documents below), we can now plan to open the outdoor nets at the ground for club bookings for outdoor cricket net practice from Wednesday 29th March.  
 
We are very aware that ECB and Governement regulations may change over the coming weeks in the lead up to the cricket season. We ask that all your members stay aware of any changes in regulations and restrictions.  I have attached below the COVID-19 briefing supplied by the ECB.

Please make all your members and parents are familiar with the content and requirements.
 
There are some key areas that affect our local provision -

• We do not wish to encourage mingling outside of the nets sessions. We ask that parents drop off their children and collect them away from the cricket net facility please.
• Players attending cricket nets or the ground should be aware of the rule "group of six" and therefore do not mingling in large groups,
• We ask all people using our facilities to continue to be aware of the Governement and ECB social distancing guidelines.
• We will expect your members to observe all the hygiene requirements and recommendations suggested by the ECB including the sharing of equipment.
• Players feeling unwell and displaying any of the Covid-19 symptoms should not attend the ground and any person displaying these symptoms will be asked to leave.

 
We ask that all clubs nominate a session manager so that they can collect the key for the nets and the Pavilion. The session manager must also maintain a complete list of all attendees for track and trace purposes. John Howard has installed a key safe with a security number. Clubs should talk with John about access arrangements.
 
The toilets in the changing rooms are available for access. All cricket net gates, lanes and the Pavilion must be locked after use and the keys put back securely into the key safe. After the evening sessions, the Turney Road gates must be locked by the last group or person leaving. If in doubt, please ask John Howard.
 
As you will be aware, the recent weather means that the outfield is soft. We ask that your members do not cycle over the fields or drag their bags along the surfaces. On arrival at the nets, players should change into sports shoes. We do not want to get mud on to the new surfaces. Please ask players to clean the mud from their shoes.  John Howard and the ground staff can guide you on the drier routes to the nets.
 
We are hoping that the your cricket nets and practice will be enjoyable.


The bar is scheduled to open in the week commencing Monday 12th April. We plan to open on Wednesday and Thursday evenings and at the weekend.  Drinks and meals can be consumed outside at tables of no more than six. Jackie Howard can take advance orders for food. The guidelines state that table orders and table service are required in the next phase.
 
I hope that this short guide enables you to use our facilities and enjoy the start-up of cricket. We hope that the ECB road map enables us to move through the stages safely.
 
Please do hesitate to ask me or John Howard about any aspect of start up to sports play at the Trust.
 
With many thanks John Smith
PLEASE SEE ECB DOCUMENTS BELOW