We all have an unlimited toolbox within ourselves. But we can only use those tools when we’re ready. Volunteering is what unlocked those tools for me.
Today, I can look back and see how clearly volunteering has completely changed my life.
When I first started volunteering, back in 1998, I was a shy 24-year-old. I was so reserved. If I was in a room of just five people, I’d struggle to speak. But over the years, volunteering has given me confidence, new skills, belief, and so much more.
Now, I can do on-camera media appearances. I’ve given lectures and even hosted events in front of 600 people. All of that is down to the power and impact of volunteering.
But when I first started, there wasn’t any kind of grand plan. It was just a passion. I’d become a father aged 23, and I just felt I needed to step up. I hadn’t got a degree and I was working at a lower-tier food chain.
I thought: ‘This is the time to make some changes.’
So the first steps were very, very small. I began volunteering with the local youth service. We started a cricket academy there and just focused on getting young people off the streets and into the nets.
Lots of us had had bad experiences with club cricket. Most of us, like me, had also never had any access to someone who could act as a cricket mentor. There were more experienced players, like our fathers and uncles, but not the coaching and guidance. So I started making myself available to young people playing cricket in Leytonstone and it grew from there.
My objective was only ever to try to help young people in the local area.
Four years later, in 2002, I had my first taste of organising a competition when we arranged an U16s tournament at West Ham Park. That day, we had almost 100 people taking part – and 90% of them weren’t playing club cricket. It was such a great chance for them to show what they could do.
Of course, we faced challenges along the way. Parents at that time weren’t always as supportive as they are today. But I’ve always believed in sport, not just cricket, as a vehicle for developing life skills and helping people to grow. That was always the starting point.
By the time 2010 came around, myself and my friend Nahed Patel had decided to start the National Cricket League. We needed to work together to take community cricket to another level. We’re still not where we want to be, but we’ve grown across all of London and finished this season with 88 teams playing across 11 divisions – making us the biggest Sunday league in the country.
A league that big obviously takes a lot of managing. So many volunteers come on board and work with the management committee, getting valuable skills they can take into other areas of their life. It makes me so proud to see people develop through their efforts with the NCL.
I’ll always do anything I can to encourage more people to volunteer in cricket. If someone comes to us at the NCL, we’ve got systems in place to help people to umpire, become match officials, or coach. We help get people on courses and let them take it from there.
That is the same with the ECB and county network too who do so much work in this space. You can find out more about volunteer training opportunities, including identifying the right course for your role and experience, by contacting your local County Cricket Board.
Cricket, or any sport for that matter, can be so powerful for your development. Once you get started, you might discover something different in yourself that you hadn’t discovered before.
There’s no doubt it helps you to grow: I’m a perfect example of that. But you have to go with good intentions. If someone out there is reading this and wants to volunteer or start anything relating to cricket, I’m more than happy to make myself available and answer any questions they might have. Across the country, we need the new generation of cricket volunteers to come through.
That can start with things like The Get Set Weekend. It is the perfect opportunity to get stuck in. Take inspiration from us: even if you haven’t got a club facility, why not invite people to a park session to get them excited for the season ahead and build new connections and friendships?
In September 2023, I was very humbled to receive a Lifetime Achiever Award from Essex CCC and then also at the national ECB Awards.
While my volunteering in cricket has never been about recognition or awards, it was an incredible moment on a personal level because my father, Haji Dilawar Patel, won the same award in 2019. He passed away in 2021, but to follow in his footsteps like that was a special and emotional occasion. My own boy has just started his journey in cricket. No pressure, son…!
The Get Set Weekend, powered by The Cricket Collective, is taking place on 5-6 April 2025. Registrations will open in January. Don’t miss the chance to get your club and volunteers ready for the season ahead, and gain access to exclusive prizes and development opportunities.