In Foreman Homes' first season of sponsorship of Oakley Cricket Club, the region's most recognised privately-owned housebuilder made a generous donation to a thrilling Help for Heroes match that helped to raise funds for sick and injured servicemen as they make their journey back into normal civilian life.

In the wake of England's nail-biting World Cup win, league-topping Oakley Cricket Club has already seen some great pitch-side achievements with much to celebrate this season – and playing host to the incredible Help for Heroes match has certainly been a key highlight. The Oakley team was very humbled to welcome the service men and women to the Club and their appreciation of its efforts was very heart-warming. Many had endured life-changing experiences, so to share a game of cricket in the glorious English sunshine made for a memorable event for all involved.

Sporting the Club's new Foreman Homes branding, Oakley organised the event to help raise much-needed funds for the UK armed forces and military veterans' charity and was delighted to receive a £100 donation from their new sponsor even before the first ball was bowled, as Club Chairman, Bob Lethaby revealed.

'We're delighted that Foreman Homes has chosen to partner Oakley Cricket Club this season and to donate to our visiting Help for Heroes players' charity,' he explained. 'The support for the charity can change lives while, closer to home, Foreman Homes' sponsorship enables us to invest in our facilities for the benefit of both our players and supporters. Thanks to this partnership, we've already refurbished our clubhouse and now have a fabulous, fully-equipped new kitchen that has transformed the building into a great social venue. With our new look and licenced bar, we've held 21^st, 50^th and 70^th birthday celebrations and other social functions that we're all enjoying together. We also have new training equipment and smart new kits for all the players who are now reinvigorated with a great sense of pride for the Club and the progress we're continuing to make.'

'Our sponsorship of Oakley Cricket Club goes further than the matches played here,' adds Spencer Drake, Foreman's Sales and Marketing Director. 'We're currently building some lovely new homes in the village and we're working hard to enhance the area's community spirit and give all residents here access to new and exciting opportunities. Supporting Oakley Cricket Club, which sits at the heart of community life here, is a great way for us to help bring people together.

The Club was established in 1849 and has three senior teams, one of which is currently top of Hampshire County Division 3. Oakley also has a thriving colts division, which means it has all age groups from under-nines to late 60s playing every weekend until the end of the season and, as Bob says, things have never looked brighter for the Club.

'We're at the highest we've ever been in the league so far,' he remarks. 'We have a record-breaking membership this year and it's the first time we've ever had a third team. It goes to show that all the effort the Club and our supporters like Foreman Homes are putting into our infrastructure is paying off and encouraging new people to join. It really is now a very vibrant place to be.'

Foreman Homes is currently building stylish new home at Poets Meadow, a popular development of three and four-bedroom character homes just off Beech Tree Close in Oakley village. You can discover more about Poets Meadow by visiting https://www.foremanhomes.co.uk/sites/oakley-basingstoke or calling 0330 333 7381 for more information