Cricket builds a Community

We know that sport has the power to promote positive social change and the cultural impact of cricket is significant in its ability to transcend ethnic boundaries.

With a renewed focus on equity, diversity and inclusion within the sport, we’re really excited to be working with clubs at grassroots level that are investing in their facilities as part of a vision to demonstrate how cricket can engage more people, increase participation and build a community.

Having indoor facilities available gives clubs the opportunity to offer a programme of cricket throughout the year. This continuity not only helps to nurture talent in the off-season but also helps to nurture the sense of belonging that is integral to any community.

15 years ago, we designed and installed an indoor cricket nets facility for The Change Foundation, a charitable organisation whose mission is to improve the lives of marginalised young people through the power of sport. Last month, we went back to see how it is looking and find out more about how its usage has evolved.

Originally, the charity used street cricket as a tool to promote peace and cohesion in the local community and what followed were several initiatives that supported the unemployed, young offenders, visually impaired and those with special needs.

The cricket centre is the hub of this charity and the indoor facility was intended to open up their agenda so they could launch a Refugee Cricket Project, which engages children seeking asylum by giving them the chance to develop their cricket skills and meet their friends in a safe environment. This space also allows coaches and professionals to deliver mentorship and support regarding welfare issues and asylum claims.

The refugee project continues to thrive, as does the facility, and since it opened, it has become a multi-sport venue, introducing walking netball, intergenerational table tennis, dance and parasport to the broader local community.

It has become a central venue for the Girls Win programme, which uses sport as a way to empower young women and girls living with a disability. The facility is a safe space and comfortable environment in which they can build lasting friendships and improve their physical and mental health.

The charity also uses the indoor venue as a learning space for training their volunteers how to teach sport to the visually impaired and there are plans afoot to start a programme of wheelchair sport.

Local cricket clubs and coaches get to use it too as an extension of their own facilities, allowing them to train at any time when bad weather and poor light might otherwise limit their options. Schools in the area have been able to expand their programme of physical activity by offering pupils an alternative venue that is in great condition, unlike many of the concrete spaces available to them outside the classroom.

We are so impressed with the impact this indoor cricket facility has had on the community and even more impressed with the way in which The Change Foundation has been looking after it. All it has taken is a deep clean of the fabric every few years to remove any build-up of dirt and a bit of respect when using the retractable curtains or pulling back the nets and it looks like it’s got at least another good 15 years ahead.

The recent government announcement that £35m is to be invested in grassroots cricket, to increase the opportunity for children from state schools and those with special educational needs to play, is a huge step forward in making the sport more inclusive.

Much like the facility we built for The Change Foundation, the 16 new indoor cricket domes that have been proposed will help to connect communities and therefore have a positive impact on the mental and physical wellbeing of so many. Cricket has a unique ability to reach people from all walks of society and we’re excited to be involved in the provision of indoor facilities that will help to build a more cohesive community all round.