We are delighted to announce that Somerset Cricket Board has become a charity* and changed names to Somerset Cricket Foundation.
In recent years Somerset Cricket Board started to deliver more non-traditional cricket projects and programmes such as Super 1s Hub clubs and Table Cricket for those with disabilities and special educational needs. These projects complemented the support we were already giving to our County Disability and Visually Impaired teams.
These projects opened our eyes to the fact that cricket can have a positive impact on anybody’s life if it was flexible enough and had the desire to do so.
In Somerset we are fortunate to have a First Class County Cricket Club, a venue that hosts domestic and international male and female professional matches, 150 local cricket clubs and an army of dedicated volunteers. These ‘assets’ give cricket in Somerset the power to have a far greater impact in our communities that we historically have. In addition to our disability cricket programmes we will initially be focussing efforts on three new project areas:
- Sporting memory programmes to tackle dementia, depression and loneliness
- Taking cricket to young people living in areas with high levels of poverty
- Mental Health Ambassadors programme for local cricket clubs
Somerset Cricket Foundation will continue to be the local governing body for cricket in Somerset with responsibility for supporting, developing and diversifying the recreational game. We are very proud of our relationship with leagues, clubs and state schools in the county and the huge impact that they have on their communities and individuals within them.
The vision for the Somerset Cricket Foundation is to engage, inspire and develop clubs and communities to improve people’s lives through cricket.
The strategic priorities over the next four years are:
- Sustain and develop a thriving network of clubs
- Develop, grow and diversify the volunteer workforce
- Take cricket to our communities and make it a game for all
- Proactively safeguard the game in Somerset
- Develop gold standard governance
Somerset Cricket Foundation, whilst independent from will continue to work very closely with, Somerset County Club to develop the whole game across the county and increase the positive impact that cricket has on our communities.
The support from Somerset County Cricket Club, the ECB, Chance to Shine and other partners will be vital in helping Somerset Cricket Foundation have the significant impact that we all believe it can in years to come.
For more information on what Somerset Cricket Foundation does, to access support or to just follow its progress please use the following channels:
Website: www.somersetcricketfoundation.org
Twitter: @SomCricketFDN
Facebook: Somerset Cricket Foundation (@SomCricketFDN)
Instagram: SomersetCricketFoundation
*(Registered Charity Number 1194363)
