Take Her Lead (THL), the charity championing women and girls in cricket founded by Isa Guha, has announced a new partnership with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Metro Bank, the first ever ECB champion of women’s and girls’ cricket, to invest in the people driving the growth of women's and girls' recreational cricket.
This new partnership will support the delivery of the Metro Bank Girls in Cricket Fund (the Fund) by strengthening the network of volunteers, coaches, officials, committee members, team managers and others who make the game happen in clubs and communities across England and Wales. Together, the three organisations will create more opportunities for connection, learning and collaboration, helping to build the workforce needed to support the continued growth of the women's and girls' game.
The partnership will be delivered through the expansion of Take Her Lead's Women's Network, a community for women who work or volunteer in recreational cricket. The enhanced programme will specifically support the ‘Network’ pillar of the Fund across 38 Recreational Cricket Boards, providing opportunities to connect with peers, share experiences and access personal and professional development, while championing Take Her Lead’s three core ambitions for the programme: Grow, Inspire and Educate.
This is a pivotal moment for women's cricket. A record-breaking summer, an ICC Women's T20 World Cup on home soil and the first-ever women's Test at Lord's are inspiring more women and girls than ever to get involved in the game. This year, over 520,000 women and girls have played the game across England and Wales, building on a record breaking year in 2025. Last year there were more than 6,000 women’s and girls’ teams at grassroots level, nearly double the number in 2022 (3,200), with a record 30,627 girls also taking part in the ECB’s National Programmes, All Stars and Dynamos.
Sustaining that momentum depends not only on attracting new players, but also on supporting the people behind the scenes who create welcoming, inclusive and thriving cricket environments.
By bringing together both the ECB and Metro Bank investments in the recreational game, Metro Bank's long-standing commitment to women's and girls' cricket and Take Her Lead's expertise in building communities and opportunities for women and girls in sport, the partnership will help ensure the infrastructure behind the game grows alongside participation.
Recruitment is now underway for a dedicated THL Women’s Network Manager to lead the programme. Further details on the programme, member benefits, support opportunities and ways to get involved will be announced following the appointment.
Mary Cahill, Head of Operations Take Her Lead: "Behind every girl who falls in love with cricket is a community of people who made that moment possible. At Take Her Lead we are on a mission to enable a more inclusive culture for women and girls. We pride ourselves in creating programmes and initiatives that open doors, remove barriers, and build environments where women and girls can truly thrive.
“This partnership is about investing in the community that can help us achieve that ambition, when women and girls are supported on the pitch and beyond, the future becomes brighter for everyone.
“We look forward to welcoming a new member to the team to bring the partnership’s ambition to life."
Gemma Barton, Head of Strategic Growth at the ECB, said: "Women's and girls' cricket is experiencing incredible momentum, with more women and girls playing, volunteering and leading within the game than ever before. Sustaining that growth depends on the people behind the scenes who create welcoming, inclusive and inspiring environments in clubs and communities across England and Wales.
"That’s why, through the Metro Banks Girls in Cricket Fund, were delighted to partner with Take Her Lead to strengthen the networks that support volunteers, coaches, officials and leaders across the recreational game. By investing in the people who make cricket happen, we can help ensure more women and girls not only discover the sport but feel supported to stay involved and thrive within it."
Danielle Lee, Director of Brand and Marketing at Metro Bank, said: "Seeing more women and girls discover a love for cricket is exactly why the Metro Bank Girls in Cricket Fund was created. We have already seen incredible growth in the number of girls teams, and we’re excited to work with Take Her Lead to help build on that momentum by supporting the people who make the game happen. Metro Bank is driven by relationships and through this partnership we want to help coaches, volunteers and others to connect, learn from one another and help create environments where women and girls can thrive in cricket.”
Applications for the role are now open. To find out more and apply, visit https://takeherlead.org/home-2/f/thl-womens-network-manager.