2020 ANNUAL REPORT

15 COMMUNITY REPORT In a year when it was unlikely that any cricket whatsoever would be played, it’s really quite remarkable to step back and take stock of what our Community and Development team and the Trent Bridge Community Trust have achieved. T I M E AT H E R I NG TON COMMUNI TY REPORT From the entire club pulling together to ensure recreational cricket could be played (as the first recreational team sport to get back to playing sport nationally, no less), to the hastiest of adaptations to ensure disadvantaged young people and vulnerable members of the community could still be supported, 2020 on the whole has been quite the success, despite its challenges. It is, however, important not to forget the strides we were able to make before the pandemic took hold. In recent years, we have seen the success and popularity of our Wicketz sessions for 11 to 15-year- olds go from strength to strength. Last winter, we were able to appoint our first full-timeWicketz officer, helping us to expand this fast-paced softball form of the game into Leicestershire and the city of Nottingham. We delivered Junior Outlaw coaching sessions to more children than in 2019, with 462 participants enjoying a taste of cricket in the evenings, at weekends and in school holidays. And we ventured into 72 schools across the county before lockdown to deliver Chance to Shine activities – meaning that over three-quarters of schools in the programme received their own visit before they closed their doors in the spring. Meanwhile, the women’s game continued to grow, with hardball leagues and cups delivered, and a thriving winter softball league sadly halted by lockdown. We built on our achievements at the award-winning Haydn Road Community Cricket Club by sustaining the involvement of South Asian communities in the game, with Street Cricket continuing to thrive. For those who prefer their sport at a somewhat slower pace, the opportunities to take part inWalking Cricket were greater than ever – with a regional festival last December in Staffordshire providing a fitting celebration of an increasingly-popular form of the game. And we helped to nurture another cohort of coaches and officials, with 65 officials trained, 39 new coaches introduced to the game and 69 upskilled. Each of these initiatives gave us the opportunity to extend the reach of the game in the county, helping an ever-more diverse network of individuals to realise that cricket could be a game for them. However, our priorities for 2020 were swiftly changed by lockdown; our focus now was on ensuring cricket could return in any form as soon as it was safe. Regular and detailed communications with over a hundred recreational clubs across the county commenced, intended to ensure that they knew they were not alone in such uncertain times. This personable approach appeared to be much appreciated. It enabled a very accurate picture of each club’s positions during lockdown to be built – both the good and the bad. And the bad was to become the next priority.