2023 ANNUAL REPORT

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE COUNTY CRICKET CLUB 2023 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 60 fessional sport, playing in front of sell-out crowds at our major venues, was possible was an aspiration that we should all fully support. As we looked ahead to 2023 and beyond, Ms Pursehouse said there was no doubt that we, like many businesses across the country, would find ourselves navigating financial challenges as the cost base increased without a corresponding uplift in income. We must also continue to manage the administrative burden of increased regulation with which we needed to comply, and find ways to support and retain our staff in a volatile labour market where individuals demanded better work- life balance. At the same time, we must also commit the resource to support our wider communities where what we do was needed more than ever. As cricket reflected wider societal issues where conflict and discourse had become the norm, it would be easy to feel a little despondent. But the Chief Executive urged members not to feel that way. Differences of opinion were just that and, if we respected and considered them, they could also be the beginning of the solution. The Chief Executive was, for one, hugely looking forward to the season ahead, with all formats of cricket available to enjoy at Trent Bridge. The boys were back in Division One, the girls had moved into their new home, and despite some minor squabbles about who got the best room in the house, our blended on-field family was making it work. Let us do the same, said the Chief Executive, and be thankful for all that we have; and remember, it’s all about the cricket. The Chief Executive then invited MandyWright, Cricket Development Manager, to speak. MsWright began by saying that 2022 was a year of continued growth and inspirational stories. Her team was reaching a wider demographic of people than ever before, and had plans firmly in place to take cricket further into communities where it had struggled to gain a foothold in the past. She said that when people got a taste of our game, they tended to come back for more – and that had certainly been the case with our women and girls’ initiatives. Over the past year, MsWright’s team had trained 108 new South Asian Female Activators– up from 50 in 2021 – and given 61 female coaches and officials the skills they needed to get started in the game. 24 new women’s and girls’ teams had been set up in Nottingham- shire, while 13 new sections had been established at existing clubs. 552 girls, meanwhile, had been introduced to the sport for the first time through All Stars and Dynamos National Programmes. Girls who were starting their crick- eting journeys no longer needed to look too far for inspiration – whether that came fromThe Blaze making Trent Bridge their home,Trent Rockets entertaining the masses during the summer or England’s women producing memorable performances in theWorld Cup. And in general, MsWright’s team were seeing increased interest in the sport from the next generation. Over 9,000 primary school children in the county gained an introduction to cricket through the Chance to Shine programme over the last summer, while almost 2,000 five to 11-year olds took part in All Stars and Dynamos. Among them were ten-year-old Zahra and her seven-year-old brother, Hassan, whose story was simply incredible. The pair arrived in England from Iraq with limited experience of schooling or organised sport. Now, they’d not only gained cricketing skills, they’d also improved their social skills and understanding of boundaries.This had really helped them both to settle into their new school; Zahra had also expressed that the sessions made her feel safe, something she hadn’t previously felt since arriving in the country. Their story was one of many which showed how cricket is about so much more than just playing the game – and MsWright went on to note further case studies. Chase Starbuck, aged 11, was a regular face at the fast-paced Street Cricket sessions at Haydn Road Community Cricket Club, and was clearly low on confidence when he first attended. But he thrived on the competitive element which arrived with the Street Regional Finals, and became a vocal team member as his side reached the final. Not only that, he showed the confidence to form a budding friendship with Outlaws andTrent Rockets batter Colin Munro, and was nominated for Chance to Shine’s Participant of theYear award. Chase was one of over 250 young people to attend those urban Street Cricket sessions, whilst almost 2,000 children took part in a range of competitive cricket opportunities through Schools Festivals, Indoor Leagues and U9s Summer Kwik Cricket. Cricket can be a force for good for those who are a little older too, Ms Wright continued. If members were watching Sky Sports during the final Test of the summer, they may have seen Bilal Hussain sharing his story. Bilal was a Street Cricket participant in 2016, before becoming a key part of the club’s recreational coaching team after he became too old to take part in the sessions. To keep him involved, the club had funded his Foundation I coaching course. He was now one of the club’s biggest assets – and Ms Wright said that none of it would have happened if it weren’t for the way we’d been able to take cricket into the heart of the city. Her team’s work also included the