Yorkshire Cricket Board

We are delighted to announce that nominations are now open for the Cricket Collective awards 2024.

Together with ECB these awards have been put together to help recognise and reward all the fantastic volunteers that work tirelessly within our Clubs, Leagues, and cricketing communities. The roles in which our volunteers take on can cover a multitude of positions that are required to enable cricket to flourish and grow.

Cricket is not just about what happens on the field but what happens off it. You may know people who have gone above and beyond or have worked under the radar. These could be pioneers, inspirers and innovators who made a huge impact to the game.

We have several categories with full details of the criteria listed below.

ECB National Cricket Collective Awards

• Connecting Communities - A Club or community organisation which has gone above and beyond the call of cricket to support communities/groups coming back to the game we love. This could be any organisation that has enabled cricket to be re-established within areas or sections where previously cricket has never happened or been dormant.

• Inspired to play– An Individual, family or group within your club or community organisation going above and beyond to open the game up to new audiences. This is for those that have provided a vision and direction in reaching new markets and inspired more participants to play cricket.

• Rising Star Award– Young volunteer making a difference – 11 – 16-year-olds. This can be any young volunteer in any role within your club and/or community. This can be through a club role, community role, administration, social media, general support etc…...

• Game changer– Young volunteer 17 – 25-year-olds making a difference in the game. This can be any young volunteer in any role within your club and/or community. This can be through a club role, community role, administration, social media, general support etc….

• Unsung hero– Those heroes who impact our game and help us make cricket happen. This could be ground staff, coaches, officials, umpires, or other volunteers. This could be any person within your cricket club or community that goes under the radar, who makes no fuss around all the work they do but deserve all the accolade.

• Growing the game– A league volunteer, committee member, or administrator going above and beyond to support clubs and help increase the number of games played. This could be anyone that has encouraged and worked to help Get more games on within your respective leagues.

• Lifetime achiever – That one individual who has given many years of service to your club or community group you could not do without. This person will have made an outstanding to their Club, League, Board, or Community.

• Cricket innovators – Someone who has brought new ideas and/or implemented new systems to improve your club or community group. This can be any innovative approach that has enhanced your club, league, or cricket community whether through online promotions, social media, face to face dialogue etc….

• Safe Hands Award – An individual that has gone above and beyond to create a positive and safer environment within their cricket community. From implementing policy and ensuring compliance, to actively listening within their club and community, using feedback to inform fu-ture practice. Working proactively to mitigate risk and responding quickly and appropriately to concerns raised within their setting.

• Tackling Climate Change – A club or community organisation that is addressing the threat climate change poses to cricket, by making sustainable changes to operations, adapting their facilities and/or engaging their local community.

• Volunteer Grounds Management Team of the Year - Aim would be to reward and recognise those volunteers who are making a real difference at clubs. Those who are working hard and improving the places where the game is played. A grounds person or persons who has made a significant impact to their club, league and/or cricket community. They will have shown high level of dedication, commitment that may go above and beyond. They may have influenced and inspired development of grounds management within the cricket community or even in the county and has thus “made a difference”.

• Young Coach of the Year - A young person who is already making a difference and is already passing on their enthusiasm for the game and inspiring the next generation of players. Someone who has demonstrated a commitment to developing the game at grass roots and community level. Has had a clear impact with a local school or club. Has shown creativity and determination in their development as a coach 16-25 years of age.

• Coach of the Year - A coach who goes the extra mile and is a true coaching hero to their club, league, county, or school. They are creative and work with players to help them reach their full potential whilst delivering active and fun sessions. Someone who Inspires and supports individual player development. Creates and delivers enjoyable and effective coaching sessions. Uses innovation and inspirational coaching methods which have significantly improved player and team performances.

• Outstanding Contribution/ Services to Coaching- This person is the life and soul at your club, in your league, your county or at your school. They have dedicated a significant amount of time to coaching and have contributed to growing the game. Someone who has dedicated themselves to coaching and making a different to the players. Created numerous opportunities and contributed to increasing participation of players and is the heartbeat of the club, league, county or school.

• The Metro Bank Champion of Girls' Cricket- A volunteer, coach or role model who has championed growing girls’ cricket at their club or cricket community. They will have inspired more women and girls to the game and supported the growth of women’s cricket through a variety of roles.

Yorkshire Cricket Collective Awards

• Officials- An umpire or scorer who has made and inspiring impact in officiating through their professional standards and conduct and who may have also impacted on the mentoring of new and fellow officials. This does not have to be someone who has been longstanding, but someone has really made an impact.

• Services to Diverse communities (Numan Shabbir Syed Award) - An individual who has given long and valuable service and who has “made a difference” in the availability of cricket for young people from the Black Minority Ethnic communities. They will have inspired more participants to the game through either participation, volunteering, coaching, social media and/or other administrative awards.

Please click here to make a nomination.

The deadline day for nominations is Monday7th August 2023.

If you have any questions about the awards, please feel free to contact:

Richard Wilkinson
Head of Region and Cricket Workforce lead
r.wilkinson@yorkshirecb.com
07850928190