A community-led project at a local cricket club is set to encourage more women and girls to take up the sport, backed by funding from Nottinghamshire County Council and the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Attenborough Cricket Club received around £25,000 to build an extension to its existing clubhouse. This included creating a new dedicated changing facility for women and girls playing for the Attenborough Starlings, who even decorated the new space themselves.
The new facility also includes two showers, a toilet and storage. Local builders carried out the work which was supported by a team of volunteers from the club.
The County Council’s Local Communities Fund (LCF) invested £14,962 in the project. LCF is part of the council’s commitment to encourage healthy and sustainable communities by financially supporting community groups and charities such as Attenborough Cricket Club.
The England and Wales Cricket Board also donated £10,000 which was backed by Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club.
Attenborough Cricket Club has already significantly grown the Attenborough Starlings team since 2019. From small beginnings, with just a handful of women training once a week for a few months in the summer, it now has 45 members taking part in weekly sessions for majority of the year.
Starlings team manager, Gemma Barton, is confident the new facilities will help attract even more new members. As part of an event to mark the official opening of the facilities, she said:
“The female changing room is so important to us at Attenborough Cricket Club. We want to make sure we have an inclusive, warm and welcoming environment for all the women and girls who play cricket here, and for those who will in the future.
“Having this space means we will be able to continue to grow and introduce cricket to more women and girls from our local community.”
Councillor Scott Carlton, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Public Health also attended the official opening. He commented:
“This is great example of the way our Local Communities Fund can boost sporting facilities which encourages healthier, inclusive and more active communities.
“The latest funding round is open until Friday 24 May 2024. A range of grants are available which can also help towards essential running costs and improve residents’ access to affordable and healthy food.”
Nottinghamshire County Councillors Richard Jackson and Eric Kerry are the local members for Attenborough and backed the club’s LCF application. Cllr Kerry said:
“This investment is great news. Attenborough Cricket Club is a fantastic club and at the heart of the village and wider community. I hope it will continue to get even more popular thanks to these improved facilities.”
Ian Dipaolo, Deputy Head of Community and Development at Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club added:
“Women and girls cricket in Nottinghamshire is growing exponentially so investments such as this are vital to ensuring the facilities provided are as inclusive and welcoming as they can be”
The Attenborough Starlings team is aiming to further raise the profile of the women’s and girls’ game as part of a sponsored walk from Trent Bridge to Derbyshire County Cricket’s Incora Ground on Thursday 23 May.
The team plan to arrive at the ground in Derby in time for the women’s One-Day International between England and Pakistan, which is being hosted there.
The money raised will be invested in club to help encourage new members and further improve facilities.
For more info contact accstarlings@outlook.com