About Lancashire Cricket Foundation
Lancashire Cricket Foundation is the official charity of Lancashire Cricket Club. We are dedicated to harnessing the transformative power of cricket to positively influence the lives of individuals and communities across the North West.
Working at the heart of communities we deliver our mission of engaging, exciting, inspiring, and improving lives through cricket. We do this through a range of programmes and initiatives, with the foundation endeavouring to promote physical and mental wellbeing, enhancing cricket accessibility for all ages and abilities and cultivating community unity.
Lancashire Cricket Foundation reach extends to various areas within the North West, mirroring the historical boundaries of Lancashire. This expansive area includes locales such as Preston, Lancaster, Bolton, Greater Manchester and parts of Cumbria and Liverpool.
Our work is channelled into key areas:
Our highly skilled, dynamic, and passionate team deliver a range of community projects that touch the lives of a huge spectrum of people in and around Lancashire, from children and young people to senior citizens.
Our education programmes educate young people by providing them with opportunities to learn and develop important life skills through cricket. We believe cricket can teach valuable lessons such as teamwork, discipline and resilience to prepare young people for success both on and off the field.
We also recognise the healing power of cricket, working to improve the health and wellbeing of our community, using sport as tool to promote physical and mental wellbeing as well as social connection. Cricket can bring joy, improve fitness and provide a support network for those who need it.
Lancashire Cricket Foundation is passionate about inclusion and are striving to create a cricketing community that is open and accessible to all, regardless of age, gender, ability or background. We believe everyone should have the opportunity to participate in and enjoy sport, this is why we are breaking down barriers to create a level playing field for all.
We understand how the power of sport can unite people bringing them together to create stronger, more connected communities that thrive with the help of cricket.
The Problem
There are 13,000 people who live immediately around Emirates Old Trafford and over 110,000 in the surrounding areas many of which are characterised by high levels of deprivation, amongst the 30% most deprived neighbourhoods in England, encompassing a community that faces numerous socio-economic challenges. These challenges may include poor housing conditions, limited access to quality education and healthcare, high unemployment rates and lack of essential community resources and services.
Living in a community of deprivation can result in individuals struggling to secure jobs to provide for their families, resource shortages in schools and lack of extracurricular activities including youth centres and recreational facilities which can lead to children at increased risk of antisocial behaviour.
Our Vision
Currently our community hub operates on a limited basis due to insufficient funding, resulting in only one session per week. As a result, we struggle to attract a consistent community presence and are unable to effectively promote the programme. Additionally, our resources are constrained, hindering our ability to provide comprehensive support for the diverse needs of our community members, such as health and wellbeing services, mental health support, financial advice and employment guidance.
We want our community to know we are there for them and help them access help and support to make their lives better. Our hub will include CV workshops and work experience to help our community have a better chance of getting employment, Money Matters workshops will help our community with managing money and making sure that they are receiving all the help that they are entitled to. Our hub will also promote our other programmes which will also benefit all ages in the community.
We recognise the vital services our community require especially those regarding financial stability and career development as many in our community have suffered from the effects of both the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis. Funding would allow us to significantly enhance the frequency of our community hub sessions and broaden the scope of services offered by enabling us to bring in external providers.
By securing funding with the Aviva Community Fund, we can transform our community hub into a dynamic and inclusive space that addresses the multifaceted needs of local residents. Increased resources will enable us to engage with more community members, expand what the hub can offer and provide a more impactful and sustainable support system for individuals seeking various forms of assistance. Your support with help us to create a more robust and accessible hub that empowers our community to thrive and flourish.
Together we can create a hub that brings people together, fosters connections and empowers individuals to reach their full potential through the joy of cricket. Your generosity will make a lasting impact on the lives of many and help us build a stronger, more connected community.
Join us in making this vision a reality.