Giving players a fantastic first experience of cricket is critical to their ongoing involvement in the sport and it is coaches who play a vital role in inspiring, developing and nurturing talent.

Over the past 12 months, and working in partnership with the ECB, the Somerset Cricket Foundation has invested over £8,400 to support the development of coaches in the county. The Foundation’s coach education programme offers a wide range of courses – from ECB Support Coach through to ECB Core Coach – which are all designed to give learners the knowledge, skills and confidence enhance a player’s experience. Throughout 2022, the Foundation has supported 45 candidates on their coaching journey; more than half of them female coaches.

Jon Bendle, the Foundation’s Managing Director, commented: “As our recent Impact Report shows, cricket can be used to enrich lives and make a difference to people’s physical, social and mental well-being. Coaches play a significant role in making this happen and we remain committed to growing and diversifying the coaching workforce across the county so as to enable more people to have a great time playing the sport.”

Colette Gooding, Women and Girls Development Manager, added: “The funding programme has been a huge success, particularly in getting more females qualified in coaching. Over the last year alone, we’ve run three ‘females only’ Foundation Courses with many more attending our Core Coach courses. The growth of female coaches in Somerset is really exciting and I’m looking forward to see the impact on the Women and Girls’ game thanks to the influence of these coaches.”

The Somerset Cricket Foundation is committed to continuing to support the development of qualified coaches in 2023 as we strive to make cricket a game for all. For more information about funding opportunities, and how you might qualify for funding, please contact us.

You can also find out more about our Coach Education programme by clicking here.