The England and Wales Cricket Board, in partnership with Sport England, has launched a new fund to help cricket to tackle inequalities in access to cricket pitches across England and Wales.
The Grass Pitch Improvement Fund will invest £5 million of National Lottery funding in grassroots facilities over three years. The first £1 million will be available in 2024 to support clubs and cricket organisations in upgrading their facilities and encouraging more people to take up the sport.
The fund will prioritise improving unsafe or inadequate pitches to support Women’s and Girls’ cricket, cricket in diverse communities, disability cricket and cricket in lower socio-economic areas.
Grant amounts will be determined on a case-by-case basis. The fund will run until March 2027, or whenever funding is fully allocated, whichever is sooner.