- Grant from England and Wales Cricket Board will help fund new Female Coach Development Programme
- Part of wider commitment to women’s game in Yorkshire, which has most female clubs of any county
- Announcement follows launch of Yorkshire Cricket’s new ten-year strategy designed to inspire future stars from all backgrounds
Yorkshire County Cricket Club has secured grant funding from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to support the development of female coaches as part of the club’s broader long-term investment and commitment to the women’s game.
The ECB is providing funding for Yorkshire Cricket’s Female Coach Development Programme, which is designed to boost the number of women who coach in the game. The programme will help fund three paid coaching internships over the next two years, starting in November.
Yorkshire is at the heart of the women’s game. The county is home to over 500 recreational female teams – more than for Lancashire, Surrey and Warwickshire combined – and the club has had a women’s first team since 1980. Meanwhile, Headingley is hosting games for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, which runs until 5th July. Nearly 45,000 fans attended the opening weekend across venues, setting a new women’s cricket attendance record.
The two-year Female Coach Development Programme will create a pathway for female coaches, combining education, mentoring, practical experience and exposure in high-performance environments. Coaches will gain access to the ECB Coach Development CPD and work across age-group cricket, the emerging player programme, the club’s academy and its professional teams.
The £25,000 grant from the ECB complements Yorkshire Cricket’s existing investment into and focus on including women and girls’ cricket in everything the Club does. It is also one of the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation’s priority areas and Yorkshire has a dedicated women and girls’ manager, as well as supporting recreational clubs, leagues and communities.
Gavin Hamilton, General Manager of Cricket for Yorkshire Cricket, said: “The women’s game is growing at an unprecedented pace but there’s still a shortage of female coaches across the country. This initiative is designed specifically to address these problems by creating a new structure for paid, long-term development opportunities for new coaches and we plan to maintain the programme in the long-term. As the women’s game continues to evolve, it’s important that players can benefit from the insights, experiences and perspectives that female coaches bring, helping to create a more representative and well-rounded coaching environment.”
Jessica Platts, Yorkshire County Cricket Club’s group strategy, people and EDI director, added: “We’re grateful to the ECB for recognising the value in what we’re putting forward and our steadfast commitment to women’s cricket. We now have the backing to develop technically strong, confident and experienced female coaches capable of progressing into elite environments for Yorkshire and beyond.
“Our club exists to inspire the next generation of cricket stars – whether players or coaches – and support everyone in Yorkshire who aspires to build a career in the game. This programme is just one part of our broader commitment to women’s cricket and will play an important role in increasing the number of elite female coaches who will develop the club’s female players of the future.”
Last month [May], Yorkshire Cricket announced the launch of Chasing Glory, its ten-year strategy to return the club to the top of the game. The plan includes proposals to invest and re-energise Headingley as a world-class cricket venue and ensure the club has a leading pathway producing outstanding male and female players who go on to represent England.
