The Yorkshire Cricket Collective Awards – Nominations Now Open

Awards season is back! Volunteers within Yorkshire’s clubs, leagues and communities are invited to enter the Cricket Collective Awards 2023.

These are the newly named awards, run by the Yorkshire Cricket Board (and other county boards) but with national ECB categories too. They used to be called the YCB Grassroots Cricket Awards in 2022 and the OSCAs before then.

They recognise the incredible work of volunteers across the region who are involved in recreational cricket in a variety of ways from coaching to grounds and be innovators who quietly go about their work.

As the YCB put it in their recent article: ‘Cricket is not just about what happens on the field but what happens off it. You may know people who have gone above and beyond or have worked under the radar. These could be pioneers, inspirers and innovators who made a huge impact on the game.’

DEADLINE: Nominations must be in by Monday 7th August 2023.

Very best of luck – there are so many worthwhile candidates out there in Yorkshire cricket – but you have to be in it to win! Get your entries in!

(Link goes to YCCC to fill in your details, choose category and add up to 500 words to support your entry).

ECB Collective Awards

Connecting Communities (Brian and Shirley Hobson Award) – A Club or community organisation which has gone above and beyond the call of cricket to support communities/groups coming back to the game we love. This could be any organisation that has enabled cricket to be re-established within areas or sections where previously cricket has never happened or been dormant.

This may also not be just be about cricket but a club who has supported their community through Covid (as an example) and opened a foodbank, helped deliver meals, is widely used by the local community, became a testing centre etc….

Inspired to play (Brian Stone Award) – An Individual, family or group within your club or community organisation going above and beyond to open the game up to new audiences. This is for those that have provided a vision and direction in reaching new markets and inspired more participants to play cricket.

Rising Star Award (Francesca Anoble Memorial) – Young volunteer making a difference – 11 – 16-year-olds. This can be any young volunteer in any role within your club and/or community. This can be through a club role, community role, administration, social media or general support.

Game changer – Young volunteer 17 – 25-year-olds making a difference in the game. This can be any young volunteer in any role within your club and/or community. This can be through a club role, community role, administration, social media, general support etc…..

Unsung hero (George Reah Award) – Those heroes who impact our game and help us make cricket happen. This could be ground staff, coaches, officials, umpires, or other volunteers. This could be any person within your cricket club or community that goes under the radar, who makes no fuss around all the work they do but deserves the accolade.

Growing the game (Lawrence Walker Award) – A league volunteer, committee member, or administrator going above and beyond to support clubs and help increase the number of games played. This could be anyone that has encouraged and worked to help Get more games on within your respective leagues.

Lifetime achiever – That one individual who has given many years of service to your club or community group you could not do without. This person will have made an outstanding to their Club, League, Board, or Community.

Cricket innovators – Someone who has brought new ideas and/or implemented new systems to improve your club or community group. This can be any innovative approach that has enhanced your club, league or cricket community whether through online promotions, social media or face-to-face dialogue.

Safe Hands Award – An individual that has gone above and beyond to create a positive environment for young people to enjoy the game. This person will have implemented policies into their club or community that work towards providing a safe and inclusive environment for young people to participate in the game.

Tackling Climate Change – A club or community organisation that is addressing the threat climate change poses to cricket, by making sustainable changes to operations, adapting their facilities and/or engaging their local community

Volunteer Grounds Management Team of the Year – Aim would be to reward and recognise those volunteers who are making a real difference at clubs. Those who are working hard and improving the places where the game is played. A grounds person or persons who has made a significant impact to their club, league and/or cricket community. They will have shown a high level of dedication, commitment that may go above and beyond. They may have influenced and inspired development of groundsmanship within the cricket community or even in the county and has thus “made a difference”.

(Link goes to YCCC to fill in your details, choose category and add up to 500 words to support your entry).

ECB National Coaching Awards

🏏 Young Coach of the Year – A young person who is already making a difference and is already passing on their enthusiasm for the game and inspiring the next generation of players. Someone who has demonstrated a commitment to developing the game at grassroots and community level. Has had a clear impact with a local school or club. Has shown creativity and determination in their development as a coach 16-25 years of age.

🏆 Coach of the Year (Maurice Young Award) – A coach who goes the extra mile and is a true coaching hero to their club, league, county or school. They are creative and work with players to help them reach their full potential whilst delivering active and fun sessions. Someone who Inspires and supports individual player development. Creates and delivers enjoyable and effective coaching sessions. Uses innovation and inspirational coaching methods which have significantly improved player and team performances.

🏏 Outstanding Contribution/ Services to Coaching – This person is the life and soul of your club, in your league, your county or at your school. They have dedicated a significant amount of time to coaching and have contributed to growing the game. Someone who has dedicated themselves to coaching and making a difference to the players. Created numerous opportunities and contributed to increasing participation of players and Is the heartbeat of the club, league, county or school

🏆 Outstanding Contribution/ Services to Coach Development – This is an individual or team of coach developers, club or local initiative who is going above and beyond to support the development of coaches in your county. An individual/team/club/initiative who actively promotes and supports the development of the coaches and/or coaches associations. Grows and encourages diversity and inclusivity making everyone feel like cricket is a game for them and provides administrative support and/or the development of coaching.

Yorkshire Cricket Collective Awards

🏏 Women’s Cricket development (Barbara Hare Award) – An individual who has made an inspiring impact to women and girls’ cricket either within a club, league, cricket community or representative level. They will have inspired more women and girls to the game and supported the growth of women’s cricket through a variety of roles.

🏆 Disability Cricket – An individual who may be able-bodied or from a disability group who has “made a difference” to the cricket the opportunities around them. This may be through playing, innovation of increasing participation, volunteering, coaching, social media, or administrative roles.

🏏 Officials – An umpire or scorer who has made and inspiring impact in officiating through their professional standards and conduct and who may have also impacted on the mentoring of new and fellow officials. This does not have to be someone who has been longstanding, but someone has really made an impact.

🏆 Services to Diverse Communities (Numan Shabbir Syed Award) – An individual who has given long and valuable service and who has “made a difference” in the availability of cricket for young people from the Black Minority Ethnic communities. They will have inspired more participants to the game through either participation, volunteering, coaching, social media and/or other administrative awards.

A reminder that the deadline day for nominations is Monday 7th August 2023.

If you have any questions about the awards, please feel free to contact:

Richard Wilkinson
Head of Region and Cricket Workforce lead
[email protected]
07850928190

This is a sponsored article on behalf of Yorkshire Cricket Board – if the mood takes you, click to read Cricket Yorkshire’s policy on sponsored content.