One of the privileges of my role is to see and hear the stories of so many volunteers who are helping to inspire more and more people to engage in club cricket.
That was showcased by the record number of more than 37,000 volunteers who took part in the Get Set Weekend, powered by Toyota, at the start of the season.
I was helping out at North London CC that weekend – we got some extra help from England Women’s star Danni Wyatt-Hodge too! – mucking in alongside the club volunteers and doing all the jobs that need doing before the new season.
Two months on and we could have hardly asked for better weather to start the club season – I hope I’m not jinxing it! – and the general feedback from clubs is hugely positive, whether that is the amount of cricket being played or the enjoyment of All Stars and Dynamos sessions.
Behind all of that success, of course, is an army of volunteers who are the heartbeat of the game. They are The Cricket Collective.
They are the people who selflessly give up their time to run junior sessions, prepare pitches, make the teas, organise club sponsorships, apply for grants or run the social media accounts because of their passion for the game.
They are the people who are the welcoming faces to new people into cricket and the last to leave the pavilion and clean up after a weekend of activity.
It is our job at the ECB to support The Cricket Collective and make your lives as easy as possible so that you can continue to build a fun, safe and inclusive environment for cricket to be played.
During National Volunteers’ Week we will highlight some volunteers who are going above and beyond, but it is also important to recognise that the work volunteers do is year-round and so I want to share some of the plans we have to provide ongoing support for The Cricket Collective.
Most recently, we have launched The Cricket Collective Learning Hub.
This is a new digital platform to house tools and resources for the recreational game. Our aim is simple: provide easily accessible information to clubs and volunteers, when they need it.
Volunteers are busy and we need to make it as easy as possible for clubs to attract more helping hands, to bring people in with different skillsets and knowledge, and to create an environment where people are excited to be involved.
To help do that, we are developing a programme to train and support 2,000 Cricket Collective Coordinators.
NCVO research has found that clubs with a coordinator have better trained and supported volunteers. From next year, we will offer an engaging blended learning programme to recruit and coach Coordinators across England and Wales.
To help sustainably grow the number of volunteers at clubs we are building The Young Cricket Collective programme.
At the moment less than 10% of volunteers are aged 25 or under, so the programme will be tailored to ignite a passion for volunteering among 14–18-year-olds.
It will also be an opportunity to join a national movement of young people shaping the future of cricket, and shaping themselves.
We plan to launch the programme next year in collaboration with the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, which aims to inspire and empower young people.
While National Volunteers' Week is a great opportunity to celebrate those people who do the hard graft around our clubs, we want to make sure those people continue to be recognised all year round.
We know that the top three reasons people volunteer in cricket are to give back to the sport they love, to make a difference and to spend time with family and friends.
Their altruism does not go unnoticed and each year the Cricket Collective Awards are run locally and nationally to recognise those efforts.
We will be taking last year’s winners to an England v India Men’s Rothesay Test match next month, and nominations for this year's awards are already open.
You can nominate now via your local Cricket Board. Local winners will then be put forward for National recognition.
If you have questions, or for more info please email cricketcollective@ecb.co.uk and you can read more about our volunteering strategy in the Volunteer Action Plan
During National Volunteers’ Week we have also created assets in our Resource Hub to help clubs mark this week and thank their Cricket Collective.
The Resource Hub can be accessed by clicking on this link.