Read our 2024 Impact Report

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

The report highlights that 96% of participants felt more included after engaging with the weekly community cricket sessions that Wicketz and Super 1s offer. Wicketz delivered 10 girls only Wicketz hubs with adapted activity to improve female engagement and Super 1s saw a 22% increase in female participation. Our special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) settings cricket offering, has now reached half of the UK’s SEND settings as we 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. Additionally, this enables us 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 our partners ECB, People’s Postcode Lottery, Berkeley Foundation, ICE Futures Europe and many more organisations and supporters who help to fund our work, we continue to grow our 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 us just how important access to our cricket programmes is to them and their peers:

Mum of Somerset Super 1s participant, Olivia, 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, Sam, 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 we need to do, to continue enhancing our impact on young people facing the challenges of inequality across the UK.

Lord’s Taverners Director of People and Programmes, Gabby Shirley, said: “2024 concluded the second year of our three-year strategy and what a way to build our future, impacting more young people than ever before.

“As we start to think about what is going to make the most impact on young people going forward, we pause to celebrate an incredible 75 years of Lord’s Taverners. Over those 75 years, our reach and impact has evolved, and we continue to transform our thinking and delivery of programme activity for more young people across the UK.

“Our Wicketz, Super 1s and our SEND Schools Programme continue to thrive. Throughout our report we showcase what we delivered to ensure we maximised our impact, and profile just some of the success stories of those who benefit from our programmes. Together, these demonstrate the positive difference we continue to make.

“There are still areas where we need to do more, change the way we work and learn from where we may have gone wrong. We will use these learnings to focus us in 2025 in order to continue having a positive impact on those who need us most.”