April 18, 2024
£35 million package to deliver the construction of 16 new cricket domes in cities due to host Women’s T20 World Cup in 2026 and Men’s T20 World Cup in 2030
Funding to also help extend England and Wales Cricket Board’s primary and secondary schools programme to get over 900,000 young people into playing cricket over next five years, including 80,000 children with special educational needs
Includes £14 million towards accessible cricket, including for children with special education needs and disabilities and for young people of African and Caribbean heritage.
Announcement marks latest part of unprecedented Government investment in grassroots sport and drive to get 1 million more young people active by 2030
The investment, to be delivered over the next five years during which England and Wales will host the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, includes a major capital programme that will see 16 state-of-the-art all-weather cricket domes built outdoors within host cities across England.These will allow for participation in cricket throughout the year, connecting school, community and talent programmes. Each dome will be built within diverse communities where figures have indicated low levels of physical activity. It follows the first cricket dome opened by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in Bradford. The Government’s investment will also deliver an extension to the ECB and Chance to Shine charity’s free, in-school cricket programme for every single school child in inner-city locations within the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup host cities across England. This will have a particular emphasis on children from lower socio-economic groups building on existing investment from Sport England.As part of this funding, £14 million will go to three charities. Chance to Shine is dedicated to delivering accessible cricket into schools and local communities, Lord’s Taverners have a focus on access to cricket provision for children with special education needs and disabilities, and ACE engage young people of African and/or Caribbean heritage.
