2024 ANNUAL REPORT

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE COUNTY CRICKET CLUB 2024 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 18 new volunteers inducted into the programme. The increase in attendance from approximately 40 to 70 people per session is a testament to the pro- gramme’s benefits. Sport’s ability to boost positive cognition through physical activity ensures our mental wellbeing pro- gramme – Notts in Mind – remains an important part of our endeavours. 43 people are currently registered members of the programme, which now involves a fifty-fifty split between mental and physical health-related sessions, including gym visits, aqua fit, therapy dog visits and yoga, as well as cook-and-eat sessions at NottinghamTrent University. This year several members reported increased independence, decreased reliance on medication, improved mood, and the overcoming of fears after engaging with the programme; some users were even able to stand or walk for the first time in years. For all of our programmes, visibility and awareness are vitally important to ensure that our work is as far- reaching as possible.To this end, we have ensured our services are publicised in areas at greater risk of deprivation or poorer physical or mental health, while also building closer relationships with social prescribers, charities and Primary Care Network institutions. And while the present and future are catered for by our Trust and Cricket Development teams, our rich and fascinating past is pre- served by our dedicated heritage volunteers, led by Steve LeMottee. Their ongoing projects included leading guided tours for the public, local groups and overseas visitors; preserving a large collection of photographs; indexing the minutes of the club’s General Committee from the 1880s; and producing insightful and educational articles for the Trent Bridge website and Covered magazine. Meanwhile, volunteers fromThe Arts Society have continued to clean and repair books and documents in the Wynne-Thomas Library. The library now includes new titles in the lending section – including a collection of books for children and young people – while a wide range of reference sources are available for researchers. Since the originalWorldWar One project in 2018–19 uncovered the stories of six Notts cricketers killed in the conflict, the heritage volun- teers have identified a seventh man and discovered much more infor- mation about Notts cricketers who served and survived, all of which led to a series of matchday talks and exhibitions. Other exhibitions included a tribute to three departed local heroes (Jake Ball, Stuart Broad and Samit Patel), the story of EileenWhite – a true pioneer of women’s cricket – and a review of the associations between West Indian cricket andTrent Bridge. Perhaps most significantly, in the autumn of 2024, volunteers helped to remove over 700 heritage objects from the Pavilion ahead of its ren- ovation. Every year – naturally – comes with its challenges.What is important to us is that we tackle the issues which matter and use the power of cricket to improve the lives of local people. We are lucky to have such a committed workforce representing us across the county, and we are incredibly excited about our plans for 2025. “WHILE THE PRESENT AND FUTURE ARE CATERED FOR BY OUR TRUST AND CRICKET DEVELOPMENT TEAMS, OUR RICH AND FASCINATING PAST IS PRESERVED BY OUR DEDICATED HERITAGE VOLUNTEERS, LED BY STEVE LEMOTTEE.” Mandy Wright