2023 ANNUAL REPORT

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE COUNTY CRICKET CLUB 2023 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 16 launched bespoke introductory courses providing one-to-one mentoring, and have worked with the Nottinghamshire ACO (Association of Cricket Officials) to deliver female-only ECB Stage 1 Umpiring courses. The new introductory programme, and the safe space it provided for open learning, received a positive response with 31 girls – some as young as six – and 46 women trained in umpiring and scoring skills. Many of these participants have since progressed onto men- torship programmes and ECB umpiring courses – and the number of female umpires standing in open age league cricket in Nottingham- shire has increased from one to five over the past 12 months. This significant progress was show- cased in a breakthrough event for the grassroots game: the first ever County Age Group Festival run by an all-female officiating team.The landmark Female Officials Show- case, hosted at Collingham Cricket Club in August 2023, involved U15s girls sides from Nottingham- shire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire. It attracted significant attention from the ECB, including international umpire Sue Redfern who was in attendance to support the event. The Lord’s Taverners Super 1s and SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability) programmes have also played a key role in making cricket a sport for all, engaging 1,055 participants across Notting- hamshire in disability cricket. Most notably amongst the year’s successes, the Keyworth CC women’s Super 1s side entered a mainstream women’s softball competition for the first time. As we compile this report each year, we always enjoy grasping the opportunity to commend the achievements of groups and individuals who make recreational cricket in Nottinghamshire a special place to be. November saw representatives from two clubs receive an ECB National Cricket Collective Award. Keyworth CC’s Jade Pope and Amanda Reader were the worthy winners of the Safe Hands award for safeguarding, whilst James Nixon and James Peck from North Wheatley & Leverton CC were highly commended in the Cricket Innovators category for theirYou- Tube channel,WheatleyTV. The quartet were also recognised at county level by Nottinghamshire’s Cricket Collective Awards, alongside Wollaton’s Nas Saleem (in the Connecting Communities category), Blyth’s Rhiannon Hillman and Caden Carlisle (YoungVolunteer and Rising Star), Jemima Dalton for her work with the East Midlands Women’s Cricket League (Growing The Game), CliftonVillage’s Ross Carnely (Inspired to Play), Ordsall Bridon’s Gareth Jones (Lifetime Achiever), Gedling Colliery’s Matt McBride (Unsung Hero) and EastwoodTown’s Ryan Esson (Volunteer Grounds Management Team).The work of those award- winners – and all who tirelessly give their time to the grassroots game – is as invaluable as ever. Our many congratulations also go to Cuckney Cricket Club, proud winners of the 2023 ECB National Club Championship having clinched victory on the final ball in a nailbiting Lord’s final. Just as our Cricket Development Team ensure that the sport is enjoyed by and accessible to many for years to come, the Trent Bridge Community Trust utilises our stature in Nottingham as a force for good, changing lives in our communities. Over 300 people attended theTrust’s health and wellbeing programmes across 2023, including the Forget Me Notts dementia initiative, Notts in Mind mental health initiative and Weight Management Project – a 12- week programme designed to help participants lose weight and make sustainable changes. “THE LORD’S TAVERNERS SUPER 1S AND SEND (SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITY) PROGRAMMES HAVE PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN MAKING CRICKET A SPORT FORALL.” Mandy Wright