2023 ANNUAL REPORT

15 COMMUNITY REPORT side to victory at the 2023 National Finals – alongside none other than his younger brother,Yaqub, who wanted to follow his sibling’s foot- steps into playing the game. All Stars and Dynamos Cricket, meanwhile, gave another 1,652 five to 11-year-olds the opportunity to experience cricket this summer. In total, 11 bursaries were awarded to clubs or community groups to enable 624 young people from socio-economically deprived areas to access cricket, many for the first time. As a result of these bursary programmes, four new junior sections have been established across the county. Elswhere, the Afro-Caribbean Engagement (ACE) Programme has begun work to reverse the generational decline in black partic- ipation in cricket. ACE’s community hub in St Ann’s – one of Notting- ham’s most deprived neighbour- hoods – has provided invaluable opportunities for individuals to embrace their passion for the sport and hone their technical skills in a thriving environment. Over 2,000 young people – 1,345 of whom are from diverse backgrounds and 731 of whom are girls – have been engaged in cricket through the programme since its introduction in January 2023. Led by our ACE Development Officer, Patrick Gada, the programme also took centre stage during Black History Month, providing a bespoke series of Trent Bridge Classroom sessions at which 122 local school- children learned of the long list of Nottinghamshire titans of Afro- Caribbean heritage – the likes of Sir Garfield Sobers and Franklyn Stephenson.Those who attended evidently found our unique class- room setting a source of awe and inspiration. Elsewhere, women’s cricket remains a key focus for the game, and an area of substantial growth.Thanks to the groundwork carried out by our dedicated volunteers at recreational clubs and ourWomen & Girls Officers, we are inspiring more girls to pick up a bat and ball for the first time, at an earlier age. Key to this is the increased visibility of women’s cricket, withTrent Bridge playing host toThe Blaze andTrent Rockets. More girls’ teams than ever before are participating in Nottingham- shire leagues, with 15 new sides and five new sections forming in 2023, taking the total up to 37 teams and 19 sections.We are now seeing the fruits of this growth, with more girls than ever progressing onto the County Age Group Pathway. With over 14,700 women and girls participating across Nottingham- shire in 2023, whether in a playing, coaching or officiating capacity, there is much to celebrate about the direction of the women’s game. Whilst participation in playing the game is on the rise amongst women and girls, officiating has traditionally formed a much smaller part of the national conversation.Women & Girls Officers Amy Coyne and Jemima Dalton, the former of whom has enjoyed her inaugural year standing as an umpire, have been inspirational in breaking down the stereotypes around women in umpiring.Together, they have “WITH OVER 14,700 WOMEN AND GIRLS PARTICIPATING ACROSS NOTTINGHAMSHIRE IN 2023, WHETHER IN A PLAYING, COACHING OR OFFICIATING CAPACITY, THERE IS MUCH TO CELEBRATE ABOUT THE DIRECTION OF THE WOMEN’S GAME.” Mandy Wright