NatWest CricketForce

NatWest CricketForce 2010: 'More Volunteers...Better Facilities'

NatWest CricketForce is an England and Wales Cricket Board volunteering initiative aimed at rejuvenating the nation’s cricketing facilities.

It encourages cricket supporters, their friends and families to give something back to their local community cricket club by volunteering to undertake renovations to clubhouses and grounds.

The ECB has provided a brief step-by-step introductory guide to the clear objectives, detailed planning and consistent commitment required to make your clubs event a success. This guide should be used to help you with your event no matter how big or small your clubs project and can be found using the following link; http://static.ecb.co.uk/files/step-by-step-guide-10760.pdf.

To register your club for NatWest CricketForce 2010 please use the following link; http://cricketforce.play-cricket.com/home/home.asp. Clubs registered for NatWest CricketForce 2010 can access special offers agreed between the ECB and key partners and business’ that support the event.

You don’t need to be rebuilding your pavilion for it to be a worthwhile project that volunteers and the local community can get involved in. A well organised, well run and well attended event can encourage the continued involvement of volunteers from outside the club. Inviting those that got involved back to see the results achieved can make them feel their input was worthwhile and may enthuse further involvement in the club.

When inviting people from outside the club to get involved you should provide not only the details of what you aim to achieve but also the reasons for doing so and the legacy that the work carried out will create (i.e. better facilities for future generations of the community to come and play/watch cricket in a safe, well maintained facility).

Utilising your clubs volunteer coordinator or a nominated club member to gather information about non-club volunteers that attend will improve your clubs chances of retaining their involvement This person can welcome volunteers, direct them to a job, take details about the job they do and then welcome them back to get involved in an appropriate role at the club after the event.

The ECB has produced lots of useful literature and promotional information to help you deliver a succesful NatWest CricketForce event. This can all be downloaded via; http://www.ecb.co.uk/development/natwest-cricketforce/ecb-cricketforce-2010-materials,1956,BP.html

For the latest version of the NatWest CricketForce newsletter, please use the following link; http://www.ecb.co.uk/development/natwest-cricketforce/natwest-cricketforce-2010-newsletters,2079,BP.html