Impact Report 2023

INTRODUCTION “ OUR

SUCCESSES WOULDN’T HAPPEN WITHOUT A STRONG TEAM, WHO ALL DESERVE HUGE CREDIT FOR THEIR HARD WORK AND COMMITMENT.

GARY WALLIS-TAYLER COMMUNITY CRICKET DIRECTOR

A MESSAGE FROM GARY WALLIS-TAYLER

2023 has been another incredible year for the Sussex Cricket Foundation. Participation across all areas of the game continues to rise and recreational cricket in Sussex has never been in a stronger position. We continue to be held in high regard both locally and nationally, with the ECB describing us as a ‘Leading Organsiation’ in Disability, Women & Girls and Schools Cricket delivery, a fantastic endorsement of the amazing work we continue to do across Sussex.

Providing opportunities for state school cricketers remains a high priority and our partnership with Brighton Aldridge Community Academy, our state school of choice for cricket, provides high quality cricket provision in a state school setting. BACA once again featured in The Cricketers Top 100 Cricket Schools, another fantastic achievement.

Women & Girls Cricket continues to be an area of growth and there are many exciting opportunities that lie ahead in the future. The launch of the Sussex Womens Premier Cricket League, the continued success of the Womens Slam and increased soft ball opportunities now provides players with a formalised pathway.

We should be proud of our efforts to continue growing and developing Disability Cricket. Record numbers attended our DIScoverABILITY Day and there was more success for our Sussex Sharks Visually Impaired team, who won the T20 Cup. A special mention to Alfie Pyle who made history in becoming the first ever Super 1s participant to go on and represent his County, an amazing achievement. Alfie became the 43rd capped England LD player in this winters tour to South Africa.

A notable achievement in 2023 was the investment made into Crawley through our Urban Cricket Plan. Over £200,000 has been invested into the town which has seen 7 new non-turf cricket pitches in clubs and/or schools and the installation of a new indoor net facility at the Apple Tree Centre in Ifield, a facility which will be heavily used by local clubs throughout the winter months.

Supporting our communities continues to be of high importance. Our Walking Cricket and Sporting Memories programmes continue to go from strength to strength, our In the Bag scheme once again saw over 1000 food bags delivered in Brighton & Hove and our Mental Health & Wellbeing Hub remains available to help support people in need.

Continuing to make The 1st Central County Ground accessible is crucial to inspiring the next generation and making memories. Events such as our Champions League Finals Day provide playing opportunities for junior players, whilst mass events such as DIScoverABILITY Day or our Family Fun Day with the Brighton & Hove Albion Foundation provide participants with the opportunity to visit our ground and try different sporting activities.

As a Foundation we continue to be in the best place possible, both financially and operationally. Our successes wouldn’t happen without a strong team, who all deserve huge credit for their hard work and commitment. I would also like to say a special thank you to Rob Andrew (former Chief Executive), the rest of the Senior Leadership Team, our Trustees, Patrons, our Community Partners and to everyone that has donated to the Foundation during 2023 – your support is greatly appreciated.

There is plenty to look forward to in 2024, as we continue growing the game and making it accessible to all across Sussex, which helps in our mission to actively change lives through the power of cricket. I look forward to seeing you at The 1st Central County Ground during the summer.

We also continue to operate the world’s largest adult cricket league, which allows clubs, teams and players to compete in a single league structure. This provides everyone with an equal opportunity to progress, no matter the size or ability of your club. The league continues to grow with more teams and an extra division in place for 2024!

ADULT CRICKET

CRICKET FOR CHANGE

Street Cricket

209

Registered Participants

+28 from 2022

Parent of Participant

9

Hubs

Increased from 5 to 8 in Early 2023

It is a great opportunity for them to gain more skills in cricket and work as a team. I’ve seen an improvement in their general wellbeing, they’re happy, positive and excited to go. They like to explain what they’ve been doing and both practice at home.

Walking Cricket

On Friday 20th October, a squad of 8 players from the Sussex Cricket Foundation Walking Cricket Hubs from across the county participated in a newly formed Walking Cricket tournament held at Lords. Taking place in the Indoor Cricket Centre, Sussex played 5 matches during the day against teams from the MCC, Epsom, Old Woking CC & Pirbright CC and Notts CCC.

Wicketz

In 2023 Sussex was able to attend both the boys & girls residential for the first time taking 12 young people away (4 boys/8 girls) visiting Repton & Worcester. These residentials involved all the wicketz projects from across the Country and enabled participants to mix learning about different cultures whilst sharing positive experiences through cricket, workshops and socialising.

Across our four wicketz hubs based in Crawley we have delivered 155 community based sessions for young people aged 8-13yrs providing 2200 contact hours to 110 unique participants. This is an increase of 355 hours (20%) and 63 additional sessions (58%) compared to 2022 along with a new girls only hub established providing opportunity for 23 new girls to access the project.

In The Bag

Sussex Cricket Foundation and Brighton & Hove Food Partnership’s ‘In the Bag’ once again delivered 1200 meal kits delivered to families in need during 2023.

Speaking at a Cost of Living Summit organised by Brighton & Hove Council yesterday, Vic Borrill Director Brighton & Hove Food Partnership, thanked the Foundation for their support: “Thank you to the Sussex Cricket Foundation for funding us to distribute 1200 In The Bag recipe kits to families experiencing poverty.”

Family Fun Day

Sussex Cricket Foundation teamed up with the Brighton & Hove Albion Foundation to provide a free day of sports activities and games to hundreds of local families at The 1st Central County Ground.

Families were invited to take part in a range of football and cricket-based activities, including speed bowling, football target practice, Sid’s Big Hit, table cricket, and blind football.

There was also a healthy eating station, where families could use an exercise bike to blend their own healthy smoothies, and an area to try out BHAFC Foundation’s Soccer STEM robots.

10 Hubs Across Sussex

FUNDING & FACILITIES

Funding

£152,000

Awarded to 19 clubs as part of the ECB County Grant Scheme

£190,000

Raised through donations, community partnerships and fundraising events

31

Clubs took up an exclusive offer, saving money on their club insurance with Sutton Winson

£4,200

Raised by Shaun by the Sea Trail in partnership with Martlets Hospice

18

Clubs benefited from the Volunteer Reward Fund

£3,500

Awarded to clubs as part of the Volunteer Reward Fund

£1,000

Raised through our partnership with Sixes Cricket

£2,400

Donated by Neds Fund towards our Champions fund

URBAN PLANS

In recognition of the substantial investment totaling £200,000, we extend our sincerest gratitude to the Cama Cricket Charitable Trust, Sussex Cricket Foundation, ECB, and Roffey Homes for their invaluable contributions. Through their generous support, seven Non-Turf Pitches (NTPs) have been successfully installed across various locations, including Three Bridges, Grattons Park, Bewbush, Southgate, Ifield Community College, and Hazelwick School (two installations). These installations not only enhance the quality of cricket infrastructure but also signify a commitment to promoting the sport within the community.

Furthermore, the establishment of a state-of-the-art, three-lane Indoor Net facility at the Apple Tree Centre marks a significant milestone in our efforts to facilitate club and community cricket activities. This facility, as reported by Sussex Cricket, serves as a hub for training and development, offering an all-weather venue for cricket enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels.

Facilities

£200k

Invested across the Crawley Urban Plan on NTP’s and net facilities

7 NTPs Across Crawley

“

Chris Warne Trustee of the Trust

3 Indoor Lane Nets installed at The Appletree Centre

The Trustees of the Cama Cricket Charitable Trust believe Spen would have been delighted that they have given financial support towards the development of indoor cricket facilities at the Apple Tree Centre and phase one of the Crawley Urban Plan. This results in the creation of new facilities for a thriving, passionate and diverse cricket community.

NATIONAL PROGRAMMES DISABILITY CRICKET

I wanted to pen a quick email to thank the club on several levels. I am the Head at Manor Green college in Crawley which is a Generic Special Needs School. Over the last few years we have been lucky enough to have several coaches come into the college to deliver Cricket and table cricket. The delivery of the sessions is first class. Coaches always ensure the activities are differentiated for all students enabling students to enjoy the game and make brilliant progress. In recent months we have had Matt Cutress and Dom Mamoany who have both been amazing with our students.

I have always been so impressed with the patience and positivity that the coaches show when delivering the activities. Several of our children subsequently have joined the Super 1 sessions run by Sussex at K2 and are loving it.

Table Cricket

DISABILITY CRICKET

DIScoverABILITY Day

650

Participants

+50 from 2022

32

Organisations

145

Volunteers

View the DIScoverABILITY Day 2023 video by following the QR Code above.

VI Sharks

2023 was the VI Sharks 20th season and this is the 11th season in a row they have lifted one of the major trophies this year winning the David Townley Memorial T20. They also enjoyed and unbeaten season.

Matt Smith

Webtrends Optimize

ALFIE PYLE ENGLAND DEBUT

County Disability Cricket Awards

All of our County Disability Squads came together to celebrate the season and celebrate individual performances. The awards were attended by Sussex Pros, Archie Lenham, Charlie Tear and Tom Alsop and senior members of Sussex Cricket who all presented the awards. The awards also gave us a chance to say thank you and goodbye to Aroop Tanna who has retired from his role as Disability Cricket Manager.

I am delighted to continue our partnership with Sussex Cricket and the Sussex Cricket Foundation for a further 4 years.

Cricket is something that has always been close to the heart of many of us here at Webtrends Optimize, and with three of our directors calling Sussex home, we feel that additional bond to the club and area too. I love seeing the results of the excellent work the Foundation does in creating opportunities and making cricket accessible to all, and being able to support and contribute to that in our own small way makes me very proud. We can’t wait to continue to share the Sussex Cricket matchday experience with our partners, clients and, of course, our team here at Webtrends Optimize.

Sussex D40 player, Alfie Pyle, made his debut for the England Learning Disability team in 2023, becoming the 43rd player in the country’s history to receive an England cap.

In doing so, Alfie became the first ever Lord’s Taverners Super 1s participant to go from a hub setting, through the county system and then on to represent England. The remarkable achievement caps off what has been an exceptional couple of years for the local batter.

Congratulations to Alfie, a fantastic achievement for a very talented young Cricketer, who is also a great role model for so many young people.

Lord’s Taverners is proud to partner with our friends at Sussex Cricket Foundation who create such an impactful environment, ensuring that Super 1s participants can enjoy themselves as they learn, develop and thrive!

Together our two organisations work hard to empower all the young people on the Super 1s Disability Cricket Programme through community Cricket. Today we celebrate one of our own reaching the pinnacle of the game!

Mark Curtin CEO of Lord’s Taverners “

SPORTING MEMORIES WOMEN’S & GIRLS’ CRICKET

66 Teams Women’s Cricket

521 Participants

39 Clubs

Held our first summer event for our SM clubs, inviting all volunteers and members to enjoy a day at the cricket on the 10th July in Cow Corner. The sun shone and Sussex were 150 without loss at lunchtime so a perfect day.

We also held our annual Christmas lunch, which was a fantastic event with over 50 volunteers and members in attendance for a traditional Christmas lunch, quizzing and festive singing, the perfect end to the year.

Sporting Memories Participant “

Monday was my FIRST experience of Live County Championship cricket at Hove, and it was certainly not going to be my last. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. From the Stewards at the front gate to the service staff at Cow Corner, the experience was so good.

I genuinely didn’t want to go home at the end of the first day’s play. Thank you to all concerned at Hove and Sporting memories for a wonderful experience. Will definitely return at some point in the future

92 Teams Girls’ Cricket

1,430 Participants

39 Clubs

Aldridge@BACA Sussex Women’s Cricket League

2023 saw the launch of the first Women’s Club Premier league in Sussex with a Division 2 below. The league became the Aldridge@BACA Sussex Women’s Cricket League, thanks to the sponsorship and continued support from Sir Rod Aldridge.

International Women’s Day Event

Brighton & Hove CC Girls Meet England Stars

Girls from the Brighton and Hove Cricket Club were invited to The 1st Central County Ground for a special day to watch their England heroes train and prepare for the upcoming IT20 against Sri Lanka.

In March 2023 to mark International Women’s Day, we held an event to celebrate 20 years since Sussex Women won their first County Championship. Players from the winning Sussex team were awarded caps, surrounded by volunteers from women & girls’ teams in Sussex, teachers, sports organisations and many special guests. It was a day to celebrate the success of 20 years ago, International Womens Day and an opportunity to thank all of those individuals who do a fantastic job in developing and growing women and girls’ cricket in Sussex.

100% of schools & teachers agreed or strongly agreed with the statement: “The sessions engaged all of the children through purposeful, active, safe and enjoyable lessons.”

76% of schools said that their teachers were now very or extremely confident to teach cricket in the curriculum at their school following receiving a Whole School Programme from SCF.

100% of schools said they would be likely to recommend the cricket programme to another school, gaining a Net Promoter Score of +88.

Amelia Smith Teacher at River Beach Primary School

The children were super excited for their session each week and loved talking about it with the other classes out on the playground! A few of the children have joined the after-school club as well which is lovely to see. Thank you so much for providing this service to schools! It’s great for the children and the staff.

Alex King Sussex Cricket “

WORKFORCE & VOLUNTEERS SUPPORT US

Sponsorship Opportunities

Sponsorship opportunities are available in 2024. If you’d like to get involved please contact us at foundation@sussexcricket.co.uk.

To find out more information please visit sussexcricket.co.uk/community-cricket.

Volunteering

We’re always on the look out for enthusiastic individuals with great people skills, the ability to adapt and a willingness to learn to support our projects. If this sounds like you, and you would like to hear more about the opportunities available please email foundation@sussexcricket.co.uk

Become an SCF Patron

The Sussex Cricket Foundation has a number of SCF Patrons who generously make charitable donations of £1,000 per annum. The usual period for this status is three years, but many of the Patrons have kindly agreed to continue with such annual donations.

In return for their contributions, each SCF Patrons receives many exclusive benefits such as the annual Patrons’ Dinner.

Leave a Legacy

You can make a contribution to Sussex Cricket Foundation by making a gift in your will. To find out more about becoming a Patron or leaving a legacy in your will, please email foundation@sussexcricket.co.uk

We’d like to thank the following organisations, companies and individuals for their support during 2023:

If you would like to help support the future and accessibility of cricket across the county, please consider donating to the Sussex Cricket Foundation by scanning the QR Code. Cama Fund

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2024

Aldridge@BACA Sussex Womens Cricket League

We will be continuing to grow and develop the newly formed Sussex Womens Cricket League. There will now be 6 teams competing in the Premier League and a further 12 in Division 2.

Urban Plans

We will be putting greater focus on our Brighton & Hove Urban Cricket Plan in 2024 to help address facility issues across the City, working closely with Brighton & Hove City Council. Our work in Crawley will continue which will see the installation & upgrade of outdoor net facilities across the town as well as further NTPs being installed in key locations.

Where Cricket Meets

On Thursday 28th March we will be holding our annual fundraising lunch, Where Cricket Meets. Our special guests this year will be ex-England Cricketers, Michael Vaughan & Phil Tufnell. All proceeds raised go towards supporting Foundation projects/initiatives to help continue growing the game and making it accessible to all.

Brighton & Hove Albion Foundation

We will be continuing to work jointly with the BHAFC Foundation on specific projects to build upon the success of our Family Fun Day last summer and to continue providing affordable sporting opportunities for children of all ages.

LGBTQ+ Community

We will be increasing our work with the LGBTQ+ community this year. Monthly events will be hosted at the 1st Central County Ground, ticketing offers to be made available and we will be identifying ways to support the Brighton Pride weekend.

Disability Cricket

We will be continuing to expand our disability programmes and County Disability Teams. This summer we will be running two D40 teams as well as our VI Sharks and Super 9s teams. Both our VI & D40 teams will play competitive fixtures at the 1st Central County Ground this summer.

THANK YOU FROM JON FILBY

Sussex Cricket Foundation has had another outstanding year growing cricket across the county and making a difference to people’s lives through the power of cricket. I would like to thank the Trustees, Gary Wallis-Tayler and his team, our volunteers and all of our generous supporters for making this happen.

2024 promises to be another exciting year for the Foundation and I am delighted that this year we will be hosting a festival of disability cricket at the 1st Central County Ground from Friday 10th May to Sunday 12th May. This encapsulates everything that we are trying to do in making cricket the most accessible sport in the county and will be a very special weekend.

“

SUSSEX CRICKET FOUNDATION HAS HAD ANOTHER OUTSTANDING YEAR GROWING CRICKET ACROSS THE COUNTY.

THANK YOU FROM ISH JALAL

2023 has been one of the most successful years for the Foundation, in delivering high quality and impactful projects and programmes that have made a positive change in people lives. Many of these have been highlighted in this report.

Sussex Cricket has a clear objective to be the most inclusive sports club in the country, and the Foundation is playing a pivotal role in achieving this objective. Our recreational cricket leagues are growing, more teams and people are playing cricket, or participating in cricket activities, spanning all ages groups, genders and backgrounds. Sussex is also leading the growth in Women’s and Girls cricket, and last year saw the launch of the new Women’s Priemer league. This is a key pathway for more women and girls to play for Sussex, Sussex Vipers and England.

The Foundation’s two Urban Cricket Plans, in Crawley and Brighton, have moved at pace. All recreational cricketers in Crawley are now able to now play their home league games in the town thanks to the new artificial pitches,

ensuring a safe and secure location for growth of cricket in Crawley, in addition to a new indoor net facility at the Apple Tree Centre. In Brighton, the Foundation has funded a new four lane indoor cricket nets at Stanley Deason leisure centre, which will provide an essential resource for local clubs in the area.

The work we do within our local communities outside of cricket is crucial to those people. Sporting Memories helps people fight the effects of loneliness and depression, whilst our ‘In The Bag’ project works with local food bank to help people fighting food poverty.

We are very grateful for your continued support and contributions, without which none of this could be possible. A special thank you goes to our team at the Sussex Cricket Foundation and the SCF Trustees, all supported by the thousands of dedicated volunteers across the county, who have once again demonstrated their passion and commitment to achieving the Foundation’s goal of helping make a positive change in people’s lives through cricket.

JON FILBY CHAIR OF SUSSEX CRICKET

ISH JALAL CHAIR OF SUSSEX CRICKET FOUNDATION

THANK YOU FROM ROB ANDREW

This will be my last thank you message for the Sussex Cricket Foundation Impact Report as I move on to a new role at the ECB.

Working with our Foundation has been one of the many highlights of my 7 years at Sussex. The Foundation was only formed in 2015 and when I joined in 2017 there was much work to do to fully integrate it’s operations into the structure of Sussex Cricket.

There is no doubt that this has been achieved and great credit needs to go to Gary Wallis-Tayler and the whole team for the dedication and professionalism they show in continually striving to grow cricket across the county. When I arrived in

Sussex I knew how important cricket was in the county and what a great history it had but I didn’t completely appreciate how deeply embedded the sport is across the county. The Foundation team are passionate about growing and creating new programmes to help support our aim of making cricket the most inclusive team sport in the county.

A massive focus over the last few years has been significant investment in our two urban plans in Crawley and Brighton as we give more support to underrepresented communities.

ROB ANDREW FORMER CEO

And we remain committed to the growth of our womens and girls programmes and our disability programmes. Both are regarded as best in class by the ECB. A highlight in 2023 was the launch of the first ever Sussex womens premier league and I look forward to seeing this go from strength to strength in the coming years.

And finally a massive thank you to all our partners, patrons, and supporters without whom none of our work would be possible and we would not be able to impact the lives of so many people.

I look forward to seeing you all at some point during 2024.

“

THE FOUNDATION TEAM ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT GROWING AND CREATING NEW PROGRAMMES TO HELP SUPPORT OUR AIM OF MAKING CRICKET THE MOST INCLUSIVE TEAM SPORT IN THE COUNTY.