South Yorkshire Times November 29, 1947

£4,000 FOR HOSPITAL

Mexborough Committee’s Outstanding Record.

A call to Mexborough Charity Cricket Committee, which has worked so valiantly and with such pronounced success for Montagu Hospital. not to disband with the coming of the nationalised hospital service was made by Mr. W. Turner Hospital President, when he introduced the ceremony in the Hospital Boardroom on Saturday when a £350 cheque was presented to the Hospital on behalf of the Committee by Mr. Percy Beaumont (Committee treasurer).

Unforgettable Day

Mr. Turner who was also this year’s Cricket Committee Chairman, recalled that the Committee had raised more than £4,000 for the Hospital.

They had  a glorious match on Jul 31sat watched by 8,000 people and it was the first time they had, had all the members of the Yorkshire County side in Mexborough; that was a very high privilege. It would be a long time before they got them in Mexborough again.

The Committee provided a glorious day’s cricket and raised a net sum of £746. The sum of £350 was given to Bill Bowes’ Benefit Fund, £350 to the hospital, and 10 guineas each to Mexborough OldFolk’s Treat and to the Wath, Swinton and Mexborough Nursing Associations.

He would say to the Committee “do not disband.” It was well worthwhile, if they could not work for the Hospital they could work for something else. He thanked Messrs Beaumont, H. S. Chappell (sec.). H. G, Constable, H, Parkin (vice-chairman), Tordoff, G. Schofield and others for their services,

Mr. Beaumont said that everything the Committee had done had I been done with a good heart. They had never had a refusal to help and he wanted this occasion to go as a vote of thanks to the people of Mexborough and district for their support. With regard to the players, when they were contacted, they had replied: “If it is for Mexborough we will come at any price.”

Receiving the cheque Mr. A. R. Martin (Hospital Chairman) said that the cheque was just a instalment of many for quite substantial amounts that had come from the Committee. During the war years when things were so drab the annual matches had stood out as a red letter. People for miles around had come and it reminded them of the lovely cricket days they had spent in pre-war days.

Mr. Martin added that this year the Committee had gone one better; they had brought the whole ‘Yorkshire team to Mexborough. Mr. Martin thanked the committee and all the workers, and. seconding, Mr. F. H. Harrop, Finance Committee chairman, said the sum raised by the committee for the Hospital was £4,350. In the first year they received £150 and subsequently £500, £850, £1,000, £1,500 and now they shared in £700.

Those days of cricket had given pleasure not only to those in Mexborough but to the people in the hospital area.

Mr. Harrop added that the work that had been done for the hospital was being acknowledged by those who were going into power and they took it as a great honour that Mr. Martin had been appointed to the Regional Board.