The Lara Cricket Club has paid tribute to Bisinella Developments for 10 years of sponsorship.
Earlier this month, the club’s secretary John Recourt presented Bisinella’s Managing Director Richard Bisinella and Chief Financial Officer Steven O’Neill, with a framed cricket top in recognition of the significant role Bisinella has made in encouraging participation in the sport among the local community.
Mr Recourt said Bisinella’s generous support and investment in the club was “100 per cent directed to the youth of Lara, encouraging their participation, by keeping participation costs down to affordable levels”.
“The true measure is seen in the number of kids playing cricket on a Saturday, with their mates, in a healthy encouraging environment. Win or lose, they learn respect, they are keeping fit and above all they are having fun.”
Lara Cricket Club’s President, Brett Gillett, said the partnership with Bisinella started a decade ago when Bisinella’s Managing Director Lino Bisinella met with the club’s then President John Speirs and asked how he and Bisinella could help Lara cricket.
“We later went on and won our first division one premiership that year, which we had been trying to do for 25 years. The partnership continues to this day.”
Mr Gillett said Lara Cricket Club was no different to other sporting clubs.
“Without sponsors our club would struggle to keep fees for seniors and juniors to a level that people can afford. The Bisinella sponsorship over the past 10 years has been massive in achieving this and our numbers continue to grow in juniors and seniors as we are one of the cheaper clubs in Geelong for people to play cricket.”
Lara Cricket Club’s mission is to focus on nurturing and developing our juniors rather than embarking on recruiting senior players to the club.
"Our first 11 team that played in last season’s division one semi-final all came through our junior program,” Mr Gillett said.
“Naturally, being competitive in our senior teams is important, both for our profile and for the inspiration of our juniors. It is with this in mind that when we recruit experienced players to our club, they fit the culture of our club, live our values and assist with the mentoring and development of our playing group as well as being involved in our junior program,” Mr Gillett said.
The financial support has and continues to enable the club to fund a variety of projects and provide apparel, sporting equipment and facilities for the youth of Lara.
“Bisinella’s sponsorship over the past 10 years has enabled us to provide playing uniforms, equipment and keep participations costs down significantly,” he said.
Mr Recourt said the sponsorship was “vital in reducing the costs associated with running a sporting club”.
“Without the generous support of Bisinella and our other sponsors, the costs to run a section, provide apparel, equipment and facilities would rely solely on revenue raised through fees and registration payments, a cost that would be significantly higher, and for most unaffordable. Therefore, many children in our community would simply miss out.”
Bisinella has been sponsoring sporting clubs in the City for Greater Geelong for the past 25 years.
“The Lara Cricket Club and other sporting clubs in our region, play a crucial role in our community, providing children and young adults with the opportunity to play sport and be part of a team,” Mr Bisinella said.
Mr Bisinella said he was honoured to receive the framed cricket top on behalf of Bisinella.
“Bisinella is very proud of its partnership with the Lara Cricket Club and helping to encourage participation among the next generation of players in our region.”
Mr O’Neill has been playing for the Lara Cricket Club since moving to Lara from Melbourne last year.
“Bisinella have had a long history of community involvement in Lara, and the sporting club (both football and cricket) play a big part in the local community,” he said.
“Sponsorship is vital to the continued development and growth of local sports,” he said.
“Having strong sponsorship like that of Bisinella allows the club to keep its costs to the players down which enables more of the community to be involved. As of late, the Bisinella sponsorship has been focused on the junior cricket teams which allows local families to be involved and keeps the costs to them down.”