Sport Northern Ireland Project Re-Boot: Activate has provided £5,000 of match funding
Covid comeback at CCC
Carrickfergus, Mid and East Antrim, United Kingdom
Aim
We want to improve cricket accessibility to children and young people through developing a high quality youth programme.
Carrickfergus Cricket Club – Our background
Carrickfergus Cricket Club was founded in 1868, making it one of the oldest clubs in Northern Ireland. It was not until the 1980’s that the club had its own ground, and the ground and clubhouse at Middle Road, are now among the best facilities in the Northern Cricket Union.
Our 1st XI have been established in the Northern Cricket Union’s Premier League for a number of years now, and we run 4 Saturday XI’s, a Midweek XI, and a Women’s XI. We have had a strong youth section for many years, producing players of the calibre of former Irish international Ryan Eagleson, as well as a number of Ireland and NCU players at Youth and Interprovincial level. In 2014 we were voted as Cricket Ireland’s Club of the Year at their Annual Awards.
Our Youth section, our future
For many years we have had a thriving youth section, fielding teams at Under 11, Under 13, and Under 15 Level in NCU League and Cup competitions, and are past winners of the NCU Under15 league, and Colts (Under 17) Cup.
We provided expert coaching delivered by qualified coaches at the club every week during the season, and during the winter indoors at the local Leisure Centre, Carrickfergus Amphitheatre.
The Club has achieved Clubmark Accredited status, and is fully committed to best practice and to safeguarding the well-being of our young boys and girls at the Club. As a community club run by volunteers, we provide a safe environment for youngsters, regardless of background or ability.
We have strong connections with a number of local schools, and before the pandemic struck, we ran weekly extra-curricular coaching sessions several local primary schools during the summer term in May and June. Many of the children got their first taste of cricket at these sessions, and then joined the club, with many staying with us long enough until it’s time for their children to join. We also ran a Primary Schools Kwik Cricket competition for the children at the end of summer term each year.
How Covid 19 has affected us
The last 2 years have not been normal ones for any of us, and the Club has been no exception.
In 2020 we were unable host any youth cricket at all at the club due to the very strict protocols in force for most of that summer. There were no NCU youth competition, and no youth coaching at the club, or schools coaching was possible.
2021 was better but our numbers were well down due to the inactivity the previous year. We had very limited access to schools, and were able to fulfil fixtures in NCU Youth competitions, but with reduced numbers participating.
We were also unable to do any winter training indoors during those 2 years, due to the facility being closed which meant that the expert coaching so important in these age groups, was unable to take place.
Furthermore, we were unable to run any targeted fund raising events, or attract any sponsors, impacting adversely on the funds we have available to deliver a quality youth cricket programme.
Why do we need this funding?
Our club sustained long periods of closure during the last 2 years, and this has obviously had its financial implications, affecting all aspects of what we can deliver.
Youth cricket needs a re-boot and re-invigoration following a period of no activity at all, followed by reduced activity, due to the Covid pandemic. We see this as an opportunity to make things post-Covid bigger and better than ever.
What do we intend to do with your donation?
● Provide additional support for our coaches in getting back into our local primary and secondary schools and delivering extra-curricular coaching sessions
● Provide coaching in additional schools including 4 local secondary schools, and additional primary schools with the aim of being active in all 12 primary schools in the local area, and encouraging boys and girls to try cricket as a sport, and join our club
● Host local schools at our ground to demonstrate the facilities we offer such as our new nets and offer additional coaching sessions including 1 to 1 coaching
● Run a Kwik Cricket competition for our local Primary schools at our ground in June for the first time since 2019
● Purchase equipment to help our coaches deliver this programme more effectively. This includes balls for coaching and bowling machine, bats, spring and flexi stumps, youth helmets, and other coaching aids
● Run free indoor coaching sessions in Carrickfergus Amphitheatre pre-season, and when weather does not permit outdoor sessions
● Your donation will enable us to run more sessions at the club, and involve more new boys and girls of all abilities
● Provide shirts for our young boys and girls to help make them feel part of the club
● Coach education to improve the knowledge and skills of our coaches eg: we currently have one of our lead youth coaches undertaking the ECB Level 2 course
Please make a donation, no matter how small. It will be very much appreciated, and really make a difference to what we can provide for our young boys and girls in the Club .
SPORT NI will be matching us £ for £ once we reach £5000 in donations.
This project successfully funded on 21st April 2022