Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced investment of £35 million in grassroots cricket facilities and widening access to the sport within state schools, in the latest move by the Government to get one million more young people physically active by 2030.

The fund that will be administered by Sport England sees

  • £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.

The total investment is expected to deliver around 2,500 pieces of new equipment to every school involved in the programme, and help to get 930,000 pupils playing cricket over the next five years.

To find out more click here: Prime Minister announces multi-million pound boost for grassroots cricket – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)