North West Cricket Union Girls Take the Crease

Aim

We're raising funds to launch a new cricket programme, providing coaching, equipment, and training for 100+ girls in the North West.

Who are we?

The North West Cricket Union (NWCU) has been part of cricket in the North West for more than 130 years. Formed in 1890, we are one of Cricket Ireland's provincial unions, covering Fermanagh, Londonderry, part of Tyrone and Donegal.

Our clubs are at the heart of what we do. Every year, they give people of all ages the chance to play cricket, volunteer, coach, compete and be part of their local sporting community. For many young people, cricket is also a place to make friends, build confidence and stay active.

Cricket in the North West brings together people from different communities and backgrounds. As well as supporting our local clubs and competitions, we work to introduce the game to people who may not have had the opportunity to play before.

One way we do this is through Cricket Connects, which brings cricket into schools and communities and helps us reach new participants, including women and girls, people with disabilities and people from different backgrounds.

We already have a growing women's and girls' game across the North West, but we want to do more. Girls Take the Crease will build on that work by giving more girls the chance to try cricket and helping more women and girls find a role in the game, whether that's playing, coaching, umpiring, scoring or volunteering.

Why are we crowdfunding?

We want to create more opportunities for girls and women to get involved in cricket across the North West through our new Girls Take the Crease programme.

Female participation in cricket is growing, but we know that too many girls stop playing or don't get the opportunity to progress as they get older. We want to give more girls the chance to try cricket, build their skills and, if they enjoy it, continue playing through their local club.

Girls Take the Crease is a completely new programme that will run for 12 weeks and aim to involve around 60 girls aged 11–18. Participants will be split into two age groups, 11–14 and 15–18, so sessions can be suited to their age and ability. We will deliver 2 x 2-hour sessions each week, providing 48 hours of qualified cricket coaching across the programme.

Weeks 1–4 – Getting started: The first four weeks will introduce the basics of cricket, including batting, bowling, catching and fielding. Sessions will be beginner-friendly, giving girls the chance to try the sport, enjoy being active and become comfortable with the basic skills.

Weeks 5–8 – Building skills: Girls will build on what they have learned through more structured coaching, small-sided games, team activities and cricket challenges. The focus will be on improving their skills, teamwork and confidence while keeping sessions enjoyable.

Weeks 9–12 – Playing and progressing: The final four weeks will include more game-based cricket, giving girls the chance to put their skills into practice. Participants will also be introduced to opportunities at local cricket clubs, giving those who want to continue a clear way to stay involved after the programme finishes.

This will be a new programme focused on girls who never played cricket before, so no previous cricket experience will be needed. We will use equipment already available within our clubs alongside new bats, balls, stumps and training equipment purchased through the project, so girls will have everything they need to take part.

We also want to create opportunities for women and girls beyond playing. The programme will include 2 female-only coaching courses, 1 umpiring and scoring course and 3 volunteer development opportunities, giving more women and girls the chance to become coaches, officials and volunteers within local cricket.

For us, this is about more than 12 weeks of cricket. We want girls to become more active, build confidence, make friends and find a sport they enjoy, while helping our clubs create more opportunities for women and girls in the future.

We are aiming to raise £2,700 from our supporters. Sport NI will provide up to £5,000 in match funding, giving us £7,700 in total to deliver Girls Take the Crease.

Creating Opportunities Sport NI

North West Cricket Union wants more girls and women to have the opportunity to take part in cricket and to play an active role in the sport. This project will create new opportunities for girls who may not currently play cricket, as well as women and girls who want to develop the skills to become coaches, umpires, scorers and volunteers.

NWCU's participation data shows that female participation is lower than male participation, with the gap becoming more pronounced as players progress into performance-level cricket. This project will create new opportunities to help girls stay involved in the sport and give more women and girls a route into coaching, officiating and volunteering.

The project is new and additional to NWCU's normal day-to-day cricket activity. We will introduce after-school cricket sessions in secondary schools and beginner programmes through local cricket clubs, creating accessible first steps into cricket for girls who may not otherwise have an opportunity to try the sport. No previous cricket experience will be required, and sessions will provide a welcoming and supportive introduction to playing.

We will also create new female-only coaching, umpiring and scoring opportunities, giving women and girls the chance to develop practical skills and confidence to take active roles within their local clubs. Creating more players is only part of building a sustainable future for women's and girls' cricket; we also need more women involved in the people and roles that make local cricket happen.

The project creates opportunities at different stages: girls can discover cricket, develop as players and see clear opportunities to become coaches, officials or volunteers. By removing the need for previous experience and providing dedicated female development opportunities, we will help more women and girls find a place within cricket and strengthen the local network supporting women's and girls' participation.

This directly supports Sport NI's Creating Opportunities aim of levelling the playing field by creating new participation opportunities for a priority group that has historically been less represented in cricket, while developing new pathways for women and girls to take an active role in their local sporting community.

How we'll spend the money raised

Qualified cricket coaching and programme delivery – £1,440: 48 hours of qualified cricket coaching @ £30/hour = £1,440. This will cover 2 x 2-hour sessions each week for 12 weeks, delivered through after-school and local club sessions.

Facility hire – £1,620: 36 hours of facility hire @ £45/hour = £1,620. School and existing club facilities will also be used where available.

Project-specific cricket equipment – £1,670:

• 12 junior cricket bats @ £40 each = £480
• 12 sets of training stumps @ £30 each = £360
• 10 dozen training cricket balls @ £40 per dozen = £400
• 4 cricket equipment bags @ £40 each = £160
• Cones, markers, catching equipment and other training aids = £270

Female coaching development – £990: 2 female-only coaching courses @ £495 per course = £990, giving women and girls the opportunity to develop their coaching skills and get more involved in local cricket.

Umpiring and scoring development – £495: 1 female-only umpiring and scoring course @ £495 = £495, giving women and girls the opportunity to develop their skills as umpires and scorers.

Volunteer training and development – £1,485: 3 volunteer training and development opportunities @ £495 each = £1,485, helping more women and girls get involved in supporting cricket within their local clubs.

Total project cost = £7,700

Sport NI match funding = £5,000

Crowdfunding target = £2,700

Community impact

Cricket has a strong community network across the North West, with 23 affiliated clubs supporting participation at grassroots level. Through Girls Take the Crease, we want to use that network to give more girls and women the opportunity to get involved.

The programme will introduce around 60 girls aged 11–18 to cricket through schools and local clubs, giving them the chance to try the sport in a welcoming environment and build their skills and confidence over the 12 weeks.

For girls who enjoy the programme, we want there to be a clear next step. That could mean continuing to play at their local club, progressing further in the game or, in time, becoming a coach, umpire, scorer or volunteer.

We will also develop more women and girls already involved in cricket through 2 coaching courses, 1 umpiring and scoring course and 3 volunteer development opportunities. This will help our clubs build the people and skills needed to keep growing the women's and girls' game after the project finishes.

Ultimately, we want more girls and women to feel that cricket is a sport they can be part of, whether that's playing, coaching, officiating or volunteering.

With up to £5,000 of Sport NI match funding available, every donation will also help us unlock more funding to make Girls Take the Crease happen.

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.
Donate what you can. Every contribution will help us create more opportunities for girls and women in cricket — and Sport NI will match the money we raise.

2. Spread the word.
Share our Crowdfunder with your friends, family, colleagues, cricket club and social media networks. The more people who hear about the project, the further we can reach.

3. Support a reward.
Take a look at our rewards and choose one as a thank you for your support.

4. Fundraise for us.
Want to do something of your own to help? Perhaps a sponsored challenge, workplace fundraiser or club event? Get in touch through the project page and we can help you get involved.

Together, we can give more girls and women the opportunity to discover cricket, build confidence, develop skills and become part of the future of our sport.

Please donate today and help us make your support go further with Sport NI match funding.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made