In initiatives to encourage an interest in cricket and provide future generations to appreciate the game in the area and in particular in Queen’s Park, Friends have allocated the following grants.

North Derbyshire Youth Cricket League Sponsorship

• This assists in providing an opportunity for junior cricketers in the area’s Clubs to compete against each other.
• The sponsorship will be applied to the operation of the league and will subsidise entry fees for individual clubs.
• In doing this we assist Clubs in forming teams and enhance interest in cricket amongst junior players. The sponsorship will assist all the Clubs participating in the League.

Junior Cricket Festival

• We are extending the opportunity for junior cricketers to play in additional fixtures this year by creating a Junior Cricket Festival at the Queen’s Park. This will be administered by NDYCL.
• In addition to some additional fixtures, it will give junior cricketers in North Derbyshire clubs the opportunity to play at the world famous Queen’s Park, Chesterfield.
• This will be a One Day Festival in the summer holidays and will comprise a knockout competition between teams that will be invited to participate by NDYCL.
• It is hoped to invite as many teams as possible and this will attract many family supporters to the day.

Recruitment & Retention

• It was reported to us that Clubs within the area are having difficulties in recruiting and retaining junior players. We want to encourage Clubs to think of totally new ideas of how this could be done and implement them with the assistance of a grant from us.
• If, after evaluation, these are successful, the ideas will be circulated to other Clubs to implement.

Volunteer of the Year Award

• Junior Club cricket relies on many volunteers to enable it to run effectively. These volunteers take on numerous roles – coaching, scoring, providing catering, work on the ground, fundraising etc.
• These volunteers are often the unsung heroes without whom many clubs would not survive.
• The winner, selected by NDYCL, will receive a Trophy and their club will be given a £100 voucher to spend on equipment

Encouraging More Young People in the Area to play Cricket

• We are committed to see more young people play cricket related games throughout the area, not only at the Queen’s Park.
• We have held discussions with clubs, school organisations and Derbyshire Cricket Foundation to formulate a plan for us to do this in the near future