IMPACT REPORT 2023

12 NOT TI NGHAM S H I R E COUNT Y CR I CK E T C LUB children & young people The return of normality on a grander scale in 2022 brought about an exponential increase in the number of young people introduced to cricket. Some 9,400 children from 94 primary schools gained their first taste of cricket via the Chance to Shine school programme – up from 7,500 in 2021. In total, nigh-on 2,000 young people sampled the sport via the All Stars and Dynamos programmes, with 1,145 introduced at the entry point for 5 to 8-year-olds, and 728 children between 8 and 11 savouring their first cricketing opportunities.These national programmes were ably supported by the training of 25 new junior activators. Elsewhere, those who thrive on competition were ca- tered for by tournaments in the summer and winter.The number of primary-aged pupils competing in schools cricket increased to 859 (from 462), 568 under 9s took part in Kwik Cricket leagues (up from 504) and 424 players appeared in the inaugural IndoorWinterYouth League. CASE STUDY A CR ICKET ING SAFE HAVEN Ten-year-old Zahra and her younger brother Hassan arrived in the UK from Iraq with limited previous experience of organised schooling, let alone structured sports activities. They were among 40 young refugees who accessed an All Stars & Dynamos National Programme delivered in partnership with the Nottingham & Nottinghamshire Refugee Forum – the county’s first initiative of this kind. The benefits they have gained from taking part in sessions are simply impossible to understate – from cricket skills and a sense of how to engage in group settings to simply feeling safe in their new home nation.