Sport Northern Ireland: Creating Opportunities has provided £5,000 of match funding
Next Innings: Youth Cricket Pathways at WCC
Craigavon, Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, United Kingdom
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Aim
Introducing cricket to 60 young people aged 13–16 through free coaching, equipment access and pathways into sustained participation.
Who are we?
Waringstown Cricket Club is a long-established, community-based club that has been at the heart of local sport for generations. We pride ourselves on being a welcoming, volunteer-led club that provides opportunities for people of all ages to enjoy cricket, stay active, and feel part of a team.
Alongside our senior teams, we are committed to growing the next generation of players by creating positive, inclusive experiences for young people - both on and off the pitch.
Why are we crowdfunding and what is Next Innings?
Next Innings is a youth development project delivered by Waringstown Cricket Club between September 2026 and March 2027. The project is designed to introduce young people aged 13–16 who are not currently participating in organised sport to cricket through a structured programme of coaching, mentoring and club engagement.
The project will provide a series of introductory cricket programmes delivered at Waringstown Cricket Club and local community venues, specifically targeting young people who may face barriers to participation due to cost, lack of confidence, limited access to equipment or little previous experience of sport.
Between September 2026 and March 2027, the project will deliver:
• 30 introductory cricket sessions for new participants aged 13–16
• Weekly coaching opportunities during the cricket season
• Access to shared cricket equipment and safety gear at no cost to participants
• Structured pathways into regular club training and competition
• Volunteer development opportunities for existing and new club volunteers
• Coach education opportunities to increase the number of qualified youth coaches within the club
As part of the project, club volunteers will undertake safeguarding, youth engagement and cricket coaching training to enhance the quality and sustainability of youth provision within the club. The project will support at least 6 volunteers and 2 coaches to gain additional qualifications and skills.
The project aims to engage at least 60 young people during the delivery period, with a minimum of 25 progressing into sustained participation through regular club activity or membership.
By removing financial barriers and creating welcoming entry points into sport, Next Innings will increase participation, improve confidence and wellbeing, and create a sustainable pathway for young people to become involved in cricket and community sport.
This project directly supports Sport NI's Creating Opportunities programme by targeting young people aged 13–16, reducing barriers to participation, creating new opportunities to take part in sport and supporting sustained involvement in cricket.
How we’ll spend the money raised
We are committed to being open and transparent about how your support will be used. The indicative project budget is £8000:
- Introductory cricket coaching programme (30 sessions) – £3,000
- Coach education and volunteer training – £1,000
- Shared junior equipment and safety gear – £2,000
- Facility hire and programme delivery costs – £1,000
- Outreach, participant recruitment and community engagement – £500
- Participant support and subsidised progression into club cricket – £500
Funding will support the delivery of Next Innings between September 2026 and March 2027, engaging at least 60 young people aged 13–16 and supporting volunteers and coaches to develop the skills needed to sustain youth cricket opportunities within the club
Every pound raised will directly support the delivery of Next Innings, helping young people access cricket, develop confidence and skills, and become active members of their local community.
Community impact
This project will benefit not just individual participants, but the wider community by:
- Helping young people build confidence, teamwork and resilience
- Encouraging healthy, active lifestyles at a key age
- Strengthening community connections through sport
- Creating a sustainable youth pathway for the club
- Supporting volunteers and coaches to gain new skills and qualifications that will strengthen youth cricket provision in the local community.
Our facilities are a shared community asset, and by investing in young people now, we are ensuring Waringstown Cricket Club remains a positive, inclusive space for future generations.
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!
To receive a pledge from Sport NI, we need to do two things:
1) Raise at least 25% of our initial target,
2) Raise this from a minimum number of 25 unique supporters. Following receipt of a pledge we will also need to reach 100% of our initial funding target to receive the funds from Sport NI. If the project fails to reach 100% of the target the Sport NI pledge will be rescinded.
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 22nd July 2026 at 10:00am