Club Support

ECB Clubmark is an accreditation scheme for cricket clubs showing that a club is sustainable, well-run and provides the right environment for its members.

Clubmark accreditation also means your club is recognised as a safe, rewarding and fulfilling place for participants of all ages, as well as assuring parents and carers that they are choosing the right option for their young people.

Accredited clubs will be required to adopt and demonstrate compliance on the Safe Hands Management System (SHMS). This will form the basis for re-accreditation and will be a requirement for every Clubmark club.

The ECB explain the rationale behind the SHMS and the rollout process as follows:

Safeguarding remains a key priority in cricket as we look to make cricket a safe and fun place for our current and future players. Following a successful pilot in autumn 2020, the ECB are rolling out a new automated tool in early 2021 to help clubs understand and meet their responsibilities in this area. This online tool will link data held in IT systems from across the game, initially sharing information in relation to DBS and Safe Hands qualifications, with further qualifications to be added later. The tool will highlight any actions that need to be taken to attain compliance to requirements set out in the ECB’s Safe Hands Policy, so as you look forward to the upcoming season it is worth reviewing who needs to refresh or attain qualifications.

For 2023 the ECB are reviewing the Clubmark Accreditation and its processes. Therefore, new accreditations are on hold currently. Those clubs that are in the process of accreditation from 2022, and clubs reaccrediting, will follow the 2022 process.

For clubs looking to achieve Clubmark, it is strongly advised to onboard to SHMS and achieve full compliance with a view to being in the best possible position to accredit when the new process has been published by ECB for Clubmark. If your club would like to be onboarded to SHMS please email communityadmin@kentcricket.co.uk to begin the process.

If you are a club looking to start on your Clubmark journey or have a general question, then please email clubmark@ecb.co.uk for more details.

If you are already registered on the portal you can gain access via this link.

NatWest CricketForce continues to provide a pre-season focal point for clubs across the country. The programme is ever-evolving and developing to meet the needs of grassroots cricket clubs.

David Fulton partners with one of our Community Coaches at the Tenterden CC Showcase event.

In 2019, clubs reported that 13% of volunteers involved in NatWest CricketForce were new to the club, over 25% were female and 36% were under the age of 24 – what can your club do to engage and retain new volunteers?

Ask any club who has been involved with ‘NWCF’ in the past and they will tell you that the buzz around the ground is unmistakable. Whether the club are looking to complete a large project or just give the site a thorough freshen up, a well run event will not only enhance the facilities but unite your membership ahead of the new season.

Each year the ECB set a specific focus for NWCF to provide additional inspiration for clubs, however it is most important that the club identify their own clear priorities for the project so that you can motivate your members and volunteers to get involved. Once registered you will also be able to download a suite of digital assets to help promote your event.

For up to date information on NatWest CricketForce, click here to visit the ECB website.

  • Can NatWest CricketForce act as the platform to recruit more volunteers into your club?
  • Could you host a ‘Parent Engagement Evening’ at the club as an opportunity for parents of the new recruits to ‘Get Involved’?
  • Could your club use NatWest CricketForce to identify some key roles required for the summer ahead and get people appropriately trained?

Undoubtedly ‘funding’ and ‘grants’ are the most common question that we get asked about. Below you will find some initial places to look to see what may currently be available from a variety of sources, but there are some crucial considerations and common questions that we can answer from the outset.

1. Funding bodies are looking for a return on investment

Not in terms of capital but in most cases the awarding body will be looking for you to help them achieve a specific outcome. This could be in the form of  an increased amount of sports provision, e.g. additional participants/sessions or a diversification of your offer, by encouraging under-represented groups to take part.

2. Machinery, Utilities and ‘Essential Costs’

As you would expect, grants are not available for covering utility bills or running costs. The most frequent request we receive is for grants towards mowers or rollers. Unfortunately a cricket club cannot operate without functional machinery, the maintenance and replacement of these items are therefore deemed as ‘essential costs’ that a well-run and sustainable club is budgeting for. Some clubs do have success with part-funding machinery with local supporters, such as parish councils and Councillors.

Alternatively there is the ECB Interest Free Loan.

Where to look for funding?

Affiliated cricket clubs can benefit from the knowledge and expertise of staff at both Kent Cricket and ECB when undertaking a project around their facilities. Some examples of common projects are listed below, accompanied with downloadable advice and specification documents where applicable.

Fine Turf Projects including drainage
– ECB TS4 – Guidelines for the construction, preparation and maintenance of cricket pitches

Pavilion – refurbishment, extensions or new builds
– ECB TS5 – Pavilions & Clubhouses

Net Facilities & Non-turf Match Pitches-
– ECB TS6 – Performance Standards for Non-Turf Cricket Pitches

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