2025 Annual-report

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE COUNTY CRICKET CLUB 2025 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 10 utmost respect for our heritage, and a building which we can all be proud to see on the world stage. This year also sees us embark upon a new chapter for The Hundred, with the club having received a 51% stake inTrent Rockets, and 49% having been secured by Cain and Ares Management Credit Funds. This is new territory for all of us in county cricket, but provides incredibly exciting opportunities for the whole game, with £500m being shared by all 18 counties, MCC and recreational cricket. On an ongoing basis, our investment partners’ knowledge and skills from across global sport will complement our strong track record of producing winning teams and offering the best spectator experience. Together, we hope to see Trent Rockets grow for the benefit of the game across the county – attracting new spectators, inspiring a generation of players, supporting the grass- roots game and allowing us to plan for the long term. Our outreach to all corners of Not- tinghamshire continues to be led by our recreational cricket team and the Trent Bridge CommunityTrust – with the two departments now working together as one to deliver cricket and non-cricket programmes. Trust programmes and recreational teams will be among the first beneficiaries of our long-term lease on theWest Park cricket facility, just a few hundred yards from our Trent Bridge home. Alongside the Notts Sports Ground at Lady Bay, this will become our third ground inWest Bridgford, and will help us to meet rising demand for playing and training facilities for our player pathways and grassroots cricket offerings. Having been founded by cricket philanthropist Sir Julien Cahn a century ago,West Park has a history all of its own – and, with the support of Rushcliffe Borough Council, we’re excited about the opportunity to unlock its potential. That opportunity will come under fresh leadership for the club, with Lisa Pursehouse having stood down as Chief Executive at the end of the season. If the goal of a leader is to leave your organisation in a better place than you found it, then Lisa – as she departs with a Pavilion development nearing completion, significant investment secured intoTrent Rockets and the County Championship having returned toTrent Bridge – can have much to be proud of. She has been a driving force behind our off-field successes, a fierce defender of those intangible qualities which makeTrent Bridge special, and a huge personal support to me as Chair. Lisa has built a fine platform from which Richard Kenyon, our new Chief Executive, can push forwards in the years to come. So too has our retiring Head Groundsman, Steve Birks, who leaves us after almost 30 years’ service to our teams and our venue. Steve is a master of his craft, and a key figure in title wins and record- breaking successes for Notts,The Blaze,Trent Rockets and England alike. He has also been a superb mentor to his successors, Andrew Selway- Duncan (Head Groundsman,Trent Bridge) and Guy Toulson (Head Groundsman, Outgrounds), who are well-equipped to build on his legacy. Our club and our venue, much like our sport, are ever-changing – but one thing which never changes is that special feeling of being at Trent Bridge for those moments that matter. We’ve seen our fair share of history in the past 12 months – and your backing has been invaluable throughout. Thank you for your support. “IF THE GOAL OF A LEADER IS TO LEAVE YOUR ORGANISATION IN A BETTER PLACE THAN YOU FOUND IT, THEN LISA CAN HAVE MUCH TO BE PROUD OF.” Andy Hunt