In Cambridgeshire we have some amazing Cricket Clubs and whether they are a big or small club, they have some amazing volunteers carrying out important tasks in a quiet and efficient manner so that our game is played in a pleasurable way.

These volunteers should be “Gold” members within clubs, but many avoid the limelight, just wanting to do their thing and if they receive an occasional thank you that will do them just fine.

We think a little bit differently, and we think everyone should hear about these club heroes, their stories, and the benefits their work brings. They are part of “The Cricket Collective” – a small army of more than 20,000 volunteers across the Cricket Clubs in England and Wales who make our recreational game so special.

In Cambridgeshire we recognise these brilliant people in several different ways.

“The Cricket Collective” Grassroots Cricket Awards are the National Awards which recognise volunteers around the Country.

On a County by County basis, in June/July each year the awards are launched and seek nominees across 15 categories, these awards cut across Coaching, Grounds Management, Community Engagement, Development of the girls Game and Lifetime Achievement categories, with the further categories looking at volunteers who are game changers or innovators by bringing a different approach to cricket, and if a volunteer introduces an initiative promoting environment and sustainability this area is covered to.

Local category winners are usually announced in August with a local Presentation Day held with our partners at Essex Cricket during September. Category winners are then put forwards for the ECB National Awards, with the winners announced during December.

This year we have opened the most inclusive nomination process, literally anyone can nominate the volunteer they can see making a difference.

Nominations can be via the following link – https://forms.office.com/e/dMVr8R95ak or by scanning this QR code.

Cambridge Winter Wonders Awards are unique to Cambridgeshire Cricket.

We recognise that although cricket is a summer sport there are a small but significant band of volunteers in clubs around Cambridgeshire squirreling away during the winter months working on all kinds of different projects…….. all aimed at making the cricketing experience a better one for their fellow club members and/or members of the local community. They can be implementing ground improvement works, fundraising, modernising their pavilion facilities or introducing coaching initiatives.

So many in cricket turn away from the game in Autumn and Winter to play other sports or do other things with their family and friends, but this devoted bunch of volunteers ignore the closed season to make things better.

Each March we seek nominations, with the aim of presenting the awards during National Volunteer Week in June.

Can you think of someone who will be worthy of a nomination, if so watch out for details of when the Winter Wonders awards are launched in 2025.