The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has revealed that around £45m from investment into The Hundred teams will fund new and improved grassroots facilities.
This capital injection is aimed at projects across England and Wales that benefit women and girls, disabled participants, lower socio-economic groups, or ethnically diverse communities. It is hoped that additional support from partners, including the government and developers, will enable projects worth a combined £150m to go ahead over the next ten years.
The fund is expected to support a mix of facility types, including cricket domes, indoor halls, and hybrid community sport hubs.
In addition to the strategic fund, the ECB has doubled investment in smaller grants for individual clubs to £5m this year and increased the limit for interest-free loans to £75,000. Overall, the governing body’s direct investment into recreational facilities will now exceed £14m per year.
Richard Gould, Chief Executive Officer, ECB, said, “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for grassroots cricket thanks to the investment we’ve received into The Hundred.
“With more children playing, the rapid growth of women’s and girls’ cricket, and our desire to become the most inclusive team sport, new and improved facilities are vital to open up access to cricket for communities across England and Wales.”
Leshia Hawkins, Managing Director, Recreational Game, ECB, said, “Every Recreational County Board will be able to apply for support for projects through this Fund, meaning we can enable projects across the length and breadth of England and Wales which will have the biggest impact for local communities. With increased funding available to individual clubs as well, this marks a huge injection into improving and expanding facilities for grassroots cricket.”
