Cricket for All: Youth, Girls and Ladies Programme

Who are we?

Muckamore Cricket & Lawn Tennis Club was established in 1874 by York Street Flax Spinning Company.  For the next 100 years, it was to remain a foundation stone of a small village community.  It is now one of the premier clubs in Northern Cricket Union (NCU).

The Clubs approach has always been to promote a thriving youth programme with the introduction of our own qualified Youth Coaches. This has enhanced and invigorated the club. Our youth members consist of boys and girls from aged 4 upwards and have boys teams at U11, U13, U15 and U17, and one U15 girls team - with the aim to introduce an additional Under 13 girls team in 2025.

Over the years, our Cricket section has grown from 2 to 6 senior teams with weekend play, 2 mid-week teams and an ever-growing Ladies section. Youth members play competitive League and Cup games at various age groups.

We have over 300 playing and associate members from a wide catchment area and we are delighted to have attracted a large number of Asian players who have brought their passion, knowledge and love for cricket into the club.

Our ethos has always been to build a diverse community through sport. 

Why are we crowdfunding?

We are crowdfunding to launch a new initiative, a 6-week Youth, Girls & Ladies Cricket Programme, to address gaps in sports participation, particularly among underrepresented groups. The programme will be run as a series of taster sessions over the 6 weeks, targeting 7 schools and running alongside this there will be indoor nets training sessions over the same 6 week period as we attempt to grow our club with new initiatives for young people. The project will focus on introducing cricket to local schools, engaging primary/secondary school students in cricket activities, and creating a culture of inclusivity and community engagement. The funds will help us deliver taster sessions, purchase new equipment, train coaches, and cover venue hire, ensuring the programme’s success. Our programmes main objectives is to increase accessibility and participation in cricket for women, girls, and youth, especially in rural and economically deprived areas.

How we’ll spend the money raised

Transparency is key to our mission. We aim to run the project for 6 weeks with our activities to be completed and delivered by 31st March.  Six weeks in five primary schools and two secondary schools, 2 hours per session (84 hours altogether in schools) and we will also run a 6 week programme at our training grounds during the same period. The training sessions will be a new initiative, to target young people aged 13-17, in an attempt to encourage participation in cricket in the local area. The project timeline is as follows:

- 6 weeks in 7 schools (5 primary, 2 secondary) targeting young girls, ladies, and youth. - Activities will include fun and engaging cricket and team-building activities

- 6 weeks Indoor Nets Training Sessions (evening sessions) - targeting U13-U17 young people - 5 sessions per week each targeting a different age group and the sessions will run during the same 6 week period as the schools programme. Sessions will take place at Parkhall Integrated College.

The funds will be allocated as follows:

• Coaching/Facilitator:

- Indoor Nets Training Sessions

- In-Schools Coaching Programme - Primary School and Secondary School

• Equipment:

- Kit Bags/Training Bags

- Training Equipment for all sessions - Including stumps, gloves, pads, helmets, bats, cricket hard balls, soft incredi-balls, tennis balls, cones, agility equipment

• Coaching Education/Training

Community Impact

This project will transform our club into a more inclusive and accessible space for all. By targeting women, girls, and youth, we will promote physical health, build confidence, and strengthen social bonds. Beyond cricket, our facilities and programmes benefit other local organisations like Antrim Ladies Netball and Randalstown Hockey Club, as we wish to encourage them to come along and participate in the sessions - enhancing the community's recreational and social opportunities. 

By addressing barriers to participation, particularly for those from deprived or rural areas, we will create a ripple effect of positive change, inspiring lifelong involvement in sports and building a stronger, healthier community.

How you can play your part

There are four simple ways to help us reach our target, and make this project a reality.

1. Make a pledge. Don’t delay if you’re going to support us because momentum is key to our success!

2. Spread the word. Share our project on your social media pages and tell the world to get behind us! The more people we reach, the more support we will get.

3. Offer rewards. Get involved if you are a local business by donating things we can offer to our supporters. We will give you a shout out!

4. Fundraise for us. If you want to run your own fundraiser – maybe a sponsored activity or similar – use the 'contact project' button at the top of our page to let us know. Setting up your own page only takes a few minutes and you won’t need any bank details. Just a fun idea!