Lord's Taverners report highlights charity's impact across UK

The Lord's Taverners reached more young people through their cricket programmes than ever before in 2024, with nearly 30,000 young people facing the challenges of inequality benefitting from their work

The charity's latest Impact Report evidences the continued life-changing impact of their free, safe and inclusive cricket programmes on young people with a disability and from disadvantaged communities in more than 250 locations across the UK, as they continue to play their part in ensuring cricket becomes the country’s most inclusive team sport.

The report highlights that 96 per cent of participants felt more included after engaging with the weekly community cricket sessions that the Wicketz and Super 1s programmes offer.

Wicketz delivered 10 girls-only Wicketz hubs with adapted activity to improve female engagement and Super 1s saw a 22 per cent increase in female participation. Their special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) settings cricket offering, has now reached half of the UK’s SEND settings as they seek to reach all 1,500 settings in the near future. 

A focus of the life skills workshops delivered through national disability cricket programme, Super 1s, is continuing to support participants to overcome barriers entering employment. Bespoke CV writing and interview practice, in addition to work experience opportunities for participants is a game changing offer for young people living with a disability. In addition, this enables the charity to help partners offering work experience to become more inclusive and diverse, which is vital in reducing the stigma around disabled people within the workplace and reducing the inequalities they experience.  

With support from the ECB, People's Postcode Lottery and the Berkeley Foundation, the charity continues to grow its reach and impact, and empower young people to develop the knowledge, skills, capabilities and confidence required to reach their potential. Many parents and participants tell the charity just how important access to the charity’s cricket programmes is to them and their peers:

Olivia, mum of a Somerset Super 1s participant, said: "Being part of Super 1s is such a positive experience not only for the amazing opportunities my child is given but also because it inspires us as parents to believe our aspirations of our child living a full, active and happy life are achievable."

A South Wales Wicketz participant adds: "I can't really imagine myself not doing Wicketz now. I think even if others I play with live with a disability or have different religious beliefs, we all come together and we’re one team."

But there is still so much more the charity needs to do, to continue enhancing the impact of their work. 

Read the Lord’s Taverners Impact Report to find out more – click here