A decade or so ago they were fierce rivals, but now a combined village cricket team is celebrating winning a national award for its community spirit.

Ashmanhaugh and Barton Wanderers Cricket Club was formed in 2012 when the Ashmanhaugh and Norwich Coltishall Wanderers set-ups pooled their resources to become one big happy family.

And they have never looked back.

This year they got through to the national stages of the Voneus Village Cup and are still in the running for a  place in the final at Lord’s in September.

“They’ve done so well,” said Jayne Everett, who nominated the club in the contest to find the competition’s Community Legends. “The cup is for teams from places with populations under 10,000, and we’re under 900! The award feels like a really good pat on the back.

“We knew things were going well, but for someone else to say ‘We like what you’re doing’ is really nice.”

The club will certainly have set the bar high for any subsequent winners as it embodies community spirit from top to bottom.

Run by volunteers, the club encourages the locals to join them on match days, and the clubhouse at Barton Turf is used by the parish council and the local bowls club. Joggers and dog walkers also make use of the outfield – a particularly popular facility during lockdown.

Everyone, including the players, mucks in with coaching the juniors, washing the kit, pulling pints in the bar, mowing the pitch… and the whole club has become a hub for two villages with very few other facilities.

And local businesses have taken the club to their hearts, with several sponsors and donors keen to help.

“One chap was at a game and asked how much balls cost. We told him and he said ‘I’d like to pay for those’ and just paid there and then. That’s the sort of support we are really lucky to have,” said Jayne.

The prize for winning the award was £500 to spend on a celebration so the club will be using it for a big do at the end of the season. And everyone is invited.

“We have so many people who come along for a drink on a Friday or Saturday evening or bring a chair and sit and watch the cricket,” said Jayne.

“I’ve no idea where they come from but they’re there every summer!”

Getting muddy and having fun helped youngsters from Coltishall Primary to raise money to help fight cancer.

The Year 3 children from Hazel Class joined thousands of children for the Pretty Muddy Kids Race for Life to raise money for Cancer Research – a 5km run negotiating muddy obstacles at the Norfolk Showground.

The youngsters, aged seven and eight, set off dressed in pink and navy outfits – but they didn’t stay clean for long!

Thanks to the heavy rain there was plenty of mud to go around – added to be hoses, water pistols and shovels filled with mud.

After a very cold and tough run, all the children were thrilled to cross the finish line and receive their medals, and were all so proud of the money that they had raised.

Over the past couple of years, members of staff at the school and a family in Hazel Class have been affected by a cancer diagnosis.

The children wanted to do something to show their support, and what better way than getting muddy with their classmates?

They set up a fundraising page with a target of £870, which was smashed, ending up with a total of £5,375,

Class teacher Sara Ward, who was at the event, said: “I am proud beyond words! Tears were shed. There was no better way to spend a Saturday morning – watching these absolute diamonds dig deep, in chilly conditions, all to help others in need.”

A parent of one of the children taking part added: “Seeing the children so passionate about fundraising has been inspirational. Every donation that came in made my child’s face light up and helped them see the importance of their efforts.

“The race was hard due to the cold weather and them being soaked through, but thinking of the sponsors and those the money would help spurred the children on.”

The Museum of the Broads has reopened for the 2023 season and has a special family offer.

We can’t wait to welcome visitors again, and all children aged 12 and under will be able to visit for free.

And teenagers aged from 13 to 18 will pay only £3.

This is a new offer from the museum and is our way of recognising the pressure families are under at the moment and helping them to have a great day out.

We will run this offer for the whole season, to the end of October.

In addition, all tickets are valid for one year  – you have to pay only once and you can visit as many times as you like in the next 12 months!

Thanks to the Red House Youth Trust for supporting us in this initiative.

As well as new displays showing a marshman’s cottage and a riverside bungalow, there are new family activities – and our old favourites (our trip boats) will be running again as well.

We are also introducing a new combined museum and boat ticket when booked in advance online.

The Museum of the Broads opened in 1996 and has been at the historic Stalham Staithe since 2000.

Opening from Easter until the end of October and staffed mainly by volunteers, with a paid curator and administrator, it welcomes around 7,000 visitors each year.

It aims to bring the stories of the Broads alive through interesting and engaging experiences, including offering river trips on a Victorian steamboat and an accessible Edwardian-style electric boat.

Families and dogs are very welcome.

For further details visit https://www.museumofthebroads.org.uk/ oremail curator@museumofthebroads.org.uk                                      Nicola Hems

A new video guide from the Broads Authority has been launched to show what is available for people who may need a little extra help to get out and about in the park.

The video highlights facilities which are accessible to wheelchairs users, suitable for people with limited mobility or can cater for those who are visually impaired.

The authority says that well-managed public access is vital to ensuring the Broads remains a spectacular place for everyone to enjoy.

Accessible Days Out in the Broads was launched in Neatishead at the Nancy Oldfield Trust charity, which provides sailing, canoeing, motor cruising and accommodation for disabled and disadvantaged people.

The guide includes boat trips, such as the wheelchair-accessible Ra Solar Boat Trip at Hoveton, accessible sailing and canoe trips with the Nancy Oldfield Trust, and accessible boat trips at the Museum of the Broads in Stalham.

Other ideas include tandem bicycles at Broadland Cycle Hire at Horning and accessible boardwalks and viewing platforms at Barton Broad.

The guide also includes suggestions of where to eat.

The authority’s waterways and recreation officer Andrew Walters said: “There are many opportunities for accessible days out in the Broads. We hope that having a wealth of information readily available on both our website and in Broadcaster magazine will inspire visitors to discover their ideal days out.”

You can watch the video at youtu.be/4KvfMlZ416g and www.visitthebroads.co.uk/discover-the-broads/about-the-broads/accessible-visits