2024 ANNUAL REPORT

17 COMMUNITY REPORT 85 coaches have been trained through the delivery of nine core and foundation coaching courses, while 40 have renewed their First Aid qualifications and 32 coaches from ethnically-diverse backgrounds were the recipients of ECB bursaries to fund their development. More than 40 recreational club safe- guarding officers have attended a Safe Hands course in the last year, whilst we identified three new coach developers to support the delivery of coaching courses in 2025 and beyond. The depth of the dedication to the recreational game is reflected in the fact that Nottinghamshire clubs made 75 nominations for the ECB Cricket Collective Awards, more than the total number of nationwide nominations for the awards in 2023. We welcomed the winners to a day of hospitality for the Metro Bank One Day Cup Final at Trent Bridge. While the Cricket Development team sow fresh seeds into the grassroots game, the Trent Bridge Community Trust ensure that our influence in Nottinghamshire stretches beyond the boundary. Our Positive Futures programme, generously backed by Rushcliffe Borough Council, has helped to support over 30 young people either struggling to deal with the school environment, involving themselves in anti-social behaviour or engaging in low-level crime, by providing one-to-one mentorship and steering them into positive activities.The delivery of sports and arts activities in addition to health, wellbeing and employability workshops provides these young people with the technical and social skills to achieve success in life. This year, a Positive Futures project in partnership with the Cotgrave Community Garden allowed young people to engage in positive horti- cultural activities, while developing skills in carpentry, building and gar- dening which were supported with ASDAN accreditations.The project has also seen a recognisable improv- ement in relationships between young people, local police and staff from the local authority in Cotgrave. In East Leake andWest Bridgford, outreach projects targeting hot- spots in anti-social behaviour have engaged with over 70 young people through diversionary activities, which have in turn built stronger connections with local youth workers and leisure centre staff. Similar work has been delivered in Bilborough, where funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner has provided mentoring and activities for 30 young people, with many others engaged through after-school clubs and holiday activity programmes. Elsewhere, the Forget Me Notts dementia programme remains one of our most popular initiatives, with over 140 members (made up of those living with dementia and their carers) enjoying free sport and social sessions. Taking on board feedback, we restructured our carers’ meetings to provide relaxed opportunities to network with other carers and gain valuable insight from the likes of Alzheimer’s UK and Dementia UK. The introduction of a volunteering network, meanwhile, has seen nine “OUR POSITIVE FUTURES PROGRAMME, GENEROUSLY BACKED BY RUSHCLIFFE BOROUGH COUNCIL, HAS HELPED TO SUPPORT OVER 30 YOUNG PEOPLE EITHER STRUGGLING TO DEAL WITH THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT, INVOLVING THEMSELVES IN ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR OR ENGAGING IN LOW-LEVEL CRIME, BY PROVIDING ONE-TO-ONE MENTORSHIP AND STEERING THEM INTO POSITIVE ACTIVITIES.” Mandy Wright