IN THE COMMUNITY CRICKET
£6.7million (improved life satisfaction through participation)
£480,000 (improved life satisfaction through volunteering)
CHANGING LIVES AND CONNECTING COMMUNITIES
In April 2022, I was delighted to join the ECIC board and be appointed as their Chair.
It’s been an exciting first full year with a strong cohort of Board Members beside me, helping to set a clear strategic direction.
I’m proud of the Essex Cricket in the Community Team and the work they have done to contribute towards making cricket the most inclusive sport in Essex and East London.
Personally, am a massive advocate of the importance of physical activity on people’s health and wellbeing.
Therefore, it’s been great to be a part of conversations around how to embed cricket into the Essex and East London landscape.
We all know what a fantastic game cricket is, but through the amazing work of the Essex
Cricket in the Community team, cricket can help inclusion, improve social cohesion, positively change lives, and ultimately connect communities.
I know there are challenges ahead, especially with the ever-changing landscape across the county, and nationally, but Essex Cricket in the Community’s position in Essex and East London is strong.
I have no doubt that the team will continue to adapt and constantly learn in order to shape their future work to achieve the Excite, Engage, Enhance vision.
I hope you enjoy reading all the success in this brilliant Impact Report.
Rachel Lewis III Chair of the Essex Cricket in the Community (ECiC) Board
“Cricket can help inclusion, improve social cohesion, positively change lives, and ultimately connect communities”
Providing everyone with the opportunity to FLY LIKE AN EAGLE EQUALITY , DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
Essex Cricket is supportive of the game’s wide ambition to be the most inclusive team sport
2023 was a year where the Essex Cricket in the Community Team showed its collective passion and culture to Excite more people to play, Engage more partners to support the growth of cricket and Enhance everyone’s experience and opportunity within the game.
We have a simple vision, which is to provide everyone with the opportunity to Fly Like An Eagle.
This is built on a clear purpose to use the diverse passion and formats of cricket to connect, grow, celebrate, and inspire all individuals and communities within a city, county, and region.
Throughout this document, you will see plenty of examples of how the game has come together to live out this vision and purpose, which was put front and centre with the release of the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket report in the summer of 2023.
The desire of everyone within the game to upskill, learn, listen, and adapt to every individual has been a testament to the volunteers, players and officials we have across the county, who go above
and beyond in creating a strong and welcoming environment for all. We still have plenty to do, but the evidence throughout the year of listening and working with key partners has certainly shown progress towards our collective ambitions.
This progress has been on show in a range of scenarios, from the flexible formats in state school cricket that have encouraged an increase in teams taking part to the insight and research work we put in place that has seen the engagement of female South Asian volunteers grow by 91% in East London. The work with partners around the county has enabled us to take the game into strategic areas such as Southend, Tendring and Harlow.
In the next ten years, the game is never going to have a better opportunity to develop and grow, with so many opportunities for coverage and opportunities to connect with the game around the world. However, we can’t take our eyes off the core areas of focus in creating that opportunity for every individual to Fly Like An Eagle.
With that in mind, in 2024, we will be focusing on the following key strategic areas:
• Continuing to create opportunities for all to pick up a bat and ball.
• Creating the best experience and opportunity for the women and girls’ game.
• Continuing to listen and look at ways to Engage schools with the opportunities that cricket provides.
• Focusing on the development linked to our 10-year facility strategy around sustainable ground management and club development, in our key areas of Southend, Thurrock, Tendring, Harlow, and East London.
As we start the journey in 2024, would like to thank everyone who has played their part in helping to sustain and grow the game across the region. We look forward to working with you all as we all look to Fly Like An Eagle together.
Dan Feist III Essex Cricket Deputy Chief Executive Officer
Our action plan aims to embed equity, diversity and inclusion into all aspects of cricket, the culture and provision.
Building on Essex Cricket 3 Es philosophy of aiming to Excite, Engage and Enhance, the plan has been developed to focus on areas of Welcoming, Developing and Achieving.
Included in the plan, is the E.A.G.L.E.S framework, which breaks down the plan into an easy 6 work format that everyone associated with Essex Cricket can follow:
• Equity
• Accessibility for everyone
• Grounding in EDI for all
• Level playing fields
• Esteem
• Stay above the line
Dream BIG Since 2019 the ECB Dream BIG programme has seen more over 500 women volunteering their time within cricket in East London – under their guidance thousands of children have had fun taking part in cricket sessions across both traditional and non-traditional environments, such as community centres and places of worship. Together, they have developed new skills, shared improved wellbeing and new friendships.
200% increase in state school teams £180k spent on EDI improvements to the County Ground
4 Faith festivals hosted £1m invested into new and improving facilities in East London Over 3000 users of the new Fatih and Reflection room Over 200 people attended EDI or Women Safety training
DREAM BIG
Enhancing 120 Volunteers, representing 11 different ethnicities
4 members of staff developed from the programme Engaging 20 Partner organisations Exciting 600+ Participants
WOMEN AND GIRLS
Our vision is to be the number one region in England for women’s and girls’ cricket
We want to use the collective drive, expertise and insight of the professional women’s sports teams in our region to be the catalyst for measurable, organic and sustainable growth across all women’s and girls’ sport in terms of elite performance, broad participation and fan engagement.
By creating the strongest playing pathways, nurturing the most inspiring role models, delivering electrifying moments in iconic arenas, and by leveraging a strong local identity, together we will proudly declare: ‘We are Essex’.
Working closely with the National Counties and with our current partners and sponsors, ‘We are Essex’ is a united partnership that will drive our vision to grow women’s cricket and sport to its full potential.
We will TRANSFORM access to cricket
• By Exciting more women and girls to be active;
• By Engaging more clubs and community groups to provide access to cricket and to other sports; and
• By Enhancing the standard of club coaches, providing more engaging sessions for women and girls.
We will INSPIRE a generation to choose cricket
• By Exciting women and girls through strong player engagement;
• By Engaging our fans to feel connected to the role models being developed; and
• By Enhancing the coverage of inspiring moments and achievements across the recretational and professional games.
3100
girls participated in our secondary programme (state school only)
48 school teams entered Chance to Compete
300 Rainbows, Brownies and Guides had cricket sessions 400 women umpired games across indoor leagues
883 girls particiapted in National Programmes
6,000 specators watched women’s cricket at the Cloud County Ground
Girlguiding Essex North East’s partnership with Essex Cricket in the Community has been such an incredibly positive experience. The Smashing Boundaries challenge pack and badge is engaging and popular among both volunteers and young members. The variety of opportunities provided, such as training at the county ground, group visits, and tickets to women’s cricket matches, undoubtedly contribute to a wellrounded and enriching experience for our members.
The active participation of over twenty girls aged 7 to 10 in the last training event attended, is a testament to the success of the collaboration. It’s wonderful to see young girls developing skills and playing matches with enthusiasm. The potential for some of them to become professional players in the future is an exciting prospect and highlights the positive impact that partnerships between community organisations and sports initiatives can have on the development and aspirations of young individuals.
We will GROW the fan base for women’s sport
• By Exciting all parts of the region to want to emulate their new role models;
• By Engaging a wide range of new partners and stakeholders to grow their investment into sport for women and girls; and
• By Enhancing the welcoming environments and fan experience at our arenas to create events that are not to be missed.
We will CONNECT a region to women’s professional cricket and to other women’s sports
• By Exciting all communities to support and be proud of the teams in our region;
• By Engaging with all the professional sports teams to provide a strong offer to current and future fans; and
• By Enhancing access to sport for girls within schools and lower socio-economic groups so they can be the next generation of role models.
We will CELEBRATE the achievements of female players, staff and volunteers in the recreational and professional game
• By Exciting media, fans and partners to promote and support the teams individually and collectively both on and off the playing area;
• By Engaging the diverse communities in our region to share their local successes for us all to celebrate; and
• By Enhancing the recognition of recreational and professional achievements, both individually and collectively.
Maxine Jones III Girlguiding Essex North East
SCHOOLS
Harnessing the power of cricket
Schools play a fundamental role in every young person’s life, creating the opportunity for every child to learn and develop their own ambition and aspiration. Essex Cricket has a clear philosophy of using the excitement around Cricket to support each individual school’s development plan.
We have a clear focus around creating a sustainable model within the schools that Enhances teacher confidence to active classes, Engages every child and Excites schools around the inclusivity and power of cricket to create a culture of success and development.
Essex Cricket is working with the ECB and local partners to inspire the next Generation by exciting, engaging and enhancing the offering to every child, restricting the barriers to entry and adapting formats and venues to open up the opportunity for every child to reach their ambition on and off the field. We work collectively to create sa and fun environments with inspirational role models and volunteers constantly looking to develop the rewards for each young person.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE ABILITY
Giving young people with a disability the chance to play regular cricket
Working in Partnership with the Lord Taverners, Super 1s provides us the opportunity to Engage young people with a range of abilities to be excited about making new friends whilst playing Cricket as well as enhancing their ambition to develop as athletes and young leaders.
Super 1s gives young people with a disability aged 12-25 the chance to play regular, competitive cricket. Community cricket hubs allow participants the chance to receive coaching, compete against their peers and enjoy the benefits of playing sport.
County Ability Teams
Essex has 3 teams playing in the ECB Disability County Championship; The Hawks, The Falcons and The Kestrels.
2023 saw 36 players feature across the 3 teams including 3 female players.
The Falcons finished D40 pursuit South Division Winners and National Runners Up while the Kestrels finished Super 9’s South East Runners Up.
A pathway exists from Super 1s and Disability Champion Clubs into the county teams, as well as from mainstream cricket.
Two of our Super 1s participants have made significant individual progress since joining the programme
Ashley has been an outstanding participant and has grown as an individual since playing cricket and joining Super 1s.
Bradley was quite reserved when he first joined and communicated very little with his peers. He demonstrated early on that he had a passion for cricket, and over time he used this passion to develop a unique way of expressing himself and teaching others in the group.
Bradley came to the programme following a recommendation from his support worker. For the first 6-7 weeks Bradley was reliant on him, not engaging without him, and needed him to bring him to and from the sessions.
Over time he gained confidence to such an extent that he now assists the coaches and support staff in running and demonstrating in the sessions.
Bradley is employed by various hospitality companies. While he has flourished with his cricket, this has also transferred to his employment and his life skills. He is now a confident young man who is extremely capable and able to encourage other young people. A prime example of the impact of the programme.
He attended his first Super 9 training session in November 2023 and is looking forward to becoming a member of the Essex Ability squad.
Bradley has expressed an interest in a role in helping more Super 1s participants to develop. He is very keen to help out with other SEND activities, such as the table cricket competition.
Ashley has been involved in Newham Super 1s since its inception back in 2013. When the hub first started, Ashley was not confident and struggled to interact. However, over the years he has become an integral part of the team, and his presence puts the participants at ease. His confidence has rocketed and he looks forward to his weekly sessions. The Newham hub is very welcoming to any new members or coaches and Ashley is a massive part of making that happen. He is friendly and kind and helps and assists others around him.
When Ashley played in the firstever Super 1s competition back in
2013 he was so nervous, it meant everything to him to be there and do well for the team. After a few
words of encouragement, he was ready to go. In the tournament in May 2023, the difference in him was so great to see. He was elated and his smile spread from ear to ear. It also helped him enjoy every minute in the first game. Ashley is now a big part of the Newham Super 1s hub and is working hard at college as well as in a local charity shop to improve his confidence and life skills. Hopefully, this will help him make big steps in the future and continue to be a fantastic role model - not only for the Newham Super1s hub - but for other people as well.
BRADLEY
ASHLEY
CLUBS AND LEAGUES
The heartbeat of Cricket
Without the collective work of players,
many
and
The work of our Clubs in creating welcoming environments that support Cricket’s ambition to be the most inclusive team sport is often underestimated.
We thank all the clubs and leagues driving the ambition for Essex to be the number 1
Sajid Patel
A complete all-rounder
In 1998, Sajid started his journey in the local area of East London, starting a Under 16s League in 2002, engaging around 120 players. In 2010, Sajid was involved in changing the game’s landscape with friend Nahed Patel. The duo set up the first whiteball cricket T20 format, the NCL now has 76 teams competing in nine divisions on Sundays.
Sajid is a complete all-rounder, who has used his passion for cricket to Excite, Engage and Enhance the community.
PATHWAY
“I also found I learnt other skills which I can use in my normal working life, such as communication and presentation”
Providing a route to the professional game
Developing home-grown players is a key philosophy that runs through Essex Cricket and we are very proud of the number of players who have grown up in and around the region and gone on to play professionally, alongside those from state school and diverse ethnicity.
The pathway is built around a clear set of characteristics and a multiple-entry point, allowing players who develop later to come into the system at various stages. Through a trusted network of scouts and modern analysis, the search to identify new or improved talent is an area we are always looking to Enhance.
The focus of the pathway is around developing a high-quality programme which is specifically designed for the individual player.
BOYS AND GIRLS
500 boys and girls observed in assessments
49% of all players state school educated
40% of all players from ethnic minority backgrounds
Over 400 Players in our Eagles Nest and Primary Development programme
ESSEX CRICKET FOUNDATION
Making a difference in our community
Formed in the Autum of 2015, the Essex Cricket Foundation has provided over £1.3m across the county and region, offering funding for the game and experiences that make a positive change to the lives of all different people and communities, concentrating on physical and mental health, employability, community cohesion and player development.
What’s your background?
Growing up, was raised with a relatively sporty background and from a young age was encouraged to take part in sports. I was never a big cricket fan or player except for a few cameos at wicketkeeper for my school team when I was substantially shorter.
What attracted you to apply to be the Community Activation Apprentice?
Essex Cricket as an organisation has a huge presence in the Chelmsford and Essex area
and I was aware of the work and impact that they have. knew had to apply as it was an opportunity couldn’t miss.
What key skills have you learned from the apprenticeship?
To think on my feet and adapt sessions to suit certain situations. have also learnt to persevere with things and if don’t succeed, then to try again.
Has the apprenticeship changed you?
It’s helped me to mature and grow. have had my eyes opened to the extent of the impact Essex have in the community.
am more confident as I’ve learned that making mistakes is normal and a process of improving and growing, both as a coach and a person.
Where do you see yourself in the future?
In 5 years’ time working in a similar role, where can really help to make a difference to young people in sport and getting more disabled people involved in sport.
PETER
WALKING CRICKET PARTICIPANT
What first attracted you to Walking Cricket sessions? have always been interested in cricket from an early age. However, was not committed enough to join a cricket club, even in retirement. also felt that my abilities were simply not good enough, because had not played any proper form of cricket since my school days.
Walking Cricket is a whole different ball game?
It is an alternative way for me in my 70s to seek to improve my health and wellbeing and keep fit at a level which is within my capabilities. have never had any desire to be a gym bunny, so this is a perfect solution. Everybody is made welcome, male or female, irrespective of ability.
“There is a lot of positivity within the group and a genuine sense of camaraderie amongst us”
There is a lot of positivity within the group and a genuine sense of camaraderie amongst us. This in turn has generated an important social dimension.
What benefits do you think the sessions will offer to others?
An environment has been created which allows any over 50s in the wider community to give Walking Cricket a try without any pressure or commitment.
IN THE COMMUNITY CRICKET
CALLUM PARKIN Community Activation Apprentice
