It’s been a difficult year (1 October 2020 – 30 September 2021) for all the participants on our programmes, their families and all those overseeing and delivering them. 

But at a time when face-to-face sessions remained a challenge due to the pandemic, re-engaging and reconnecting with communities was our top priority and we saw 80% of participants from the previous year return to regular sessions, while more than 2,000 new young people took part in our programmes. 

Although participant numbers were down on the previous year, we did see an 8% increase in female participation and great progress was made as part of our partnership with the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to make Super 1s available in every county by 2024.

As you will see in this report overall, we were pleased with the progress of our programmes but there is still a lot we can learn and make even better. All these learnings and research taking place now to determine the areas of our work where we are most impactful, how we can improve what we do and grow our reach in the years to come, will be taken forward into our new strategy which will be announced in the coming months. 

Working collectively, I believe we have a fantastic opportunity to build on the 72 years of history of this amazing organisation and with a transformational strategy that is clear and focussed on delivering impactful programmes, we can drive the charity forward to empower even more young people facing inequality to make positive choices, improve their health and wellbeing and achieve positive outcomes.

Our thanks go to all members, Trusts and Foundations, partners, particularly the People’s Postcode Lottery, Berkeley Foundation, ECB, Sport England and PEN Trust, and all our charity supporters for their efforts in helping us continue delivering and improving upon the work we do.

Read on to find out more about the impact we continue to have on individuals and communities through our vital programmes.

WORKING WITH THE ECB