Getting more Women playing cricket
The Pitch
Problem statement
The Club is keen to get more women getting active and having a go at learning cricket. We have seen the impact Covid has had on mental and physical health and want be to be able to get more women involved in playing a really social sport enablling them to get more healthy both physically and mentally. The increase in Soft Ball cricket for women has seen a great starter into the sport and we want to get more women having a go. We have seen an appetite for this at a taster session and want to encourage and develop this further. The project will enable the Club to provide easy access sessions that help overcome the usual factors when accessing sport (childcare, cost and lack of equipment)
Solution
The goal is to see an increase in women attending the women cricket sessions and playing matches. The taster session we ran last summer saw women take part for the first time and have fun we want to expand this and turn these ladies into regular attendees. The funding will enable us to pay expenses for our volunteer coaches to give a great positive experience to the women taking part (some for the 1st time). It would be used to provide a mini creche for any women where childcare is a barrier for them accessing the sessions. The funding would enable the sessions to be provided at minimal cost and also enable the Club to buy more equipment for the ladies to use.
Why are we best placed to deliver?
The Club has a massive focus on cricket being a sport for everyone. We already have females playing in Saturday senior cricket, which is seen as predominately as a male environment but the Club is a massive believer that cricket is one of the few sports that is not gender based. We have plans for the future to improvement and have a separate female changing facility. The Club sees the increase in female participation at the Club as a key goal for 2022 and beyond. The Club has a female level 2 coach something that will also help encourage women to take part.
Focus Areas
Delivery plan
Budget breakdown
| Equipment Cost: Soft Ball Bats x 12 Soft Ball Balls x 24 Tennis Balls x 24, Stumps x 4 sets | £700 |
| Volunteer Coach Expenses: 2 Coaches for 12 weeks (petrol etc) | £300 |
| Marketing, flyers, social media campaign boost option on facebook/twitter | £250 |
| Training Shirt for women after coming for 6 sessions 25 ladies attending half the sessions offered | £250 |
Beneficiaries
25 people
Expected impact
To see an increase in women attending cricket sessions during the summer. Seeing a minimum of 12 new women attend a minimum of 6 sessions over the summer, which would be half the sessions offered. To see the Club enter a Soft Ball team into 2 Soft Ball festivals over the summer months. To hold an interclub softball match at the Club for the Women who have been attending and create a fun family day. To have women have fun whilst taking part in some physical activity and get them to want to come back by delivering postive, fun sessions and as a Club to try and make it as easy as possible to enable women to access the Club training sessions and hopefully become active members in the Cricket Club.