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The Ashes Legacy
Nottinghamshire’s heralded Community
teamwill make good on a series of promises
detailed in the Club’s successful bid to
host Investec Ashes Test Matches with
the launch of an ambitious programme
of initiatives to harness the opportunities
presented by major matches.
The Trent Bridge Community Sports
Trust, Nottinghamshire’s charitable
arm, are the senior partners in a group
that brings together several Ashes host
venues and includes the MCC, Durham
Cricket Foundation, Lancashire Cricket
Foundation and Cricket Victoria.
Under the united banner of the ‘Ashes
Legacy Partnership,’ the venues will
deliver common schemes to engage
volunteers, entertain spectators and
educate young people.
“We’ve always worked hard to ensure that
major matches have a positive benefit on
our communities but this is the first time we
have planned a programme on this scale,”
said Tracey Francis, Nottinghamshire’s
Head of Community Sport.
“Rolling out schemes across multiple
venues seemed like a logical step for us
and our challenge now is to transform
plans into action. There’s a lot to do
before the 10th of July.”
The Club unveiled a second permanent
replay screen at the start of the season,
part-funded by Nottinghamshire County
Council in recognition of the reputational,
economic and community benefits of
staging major matches at Trent Bridge.
“We made commitments in our bid
document to build a second replay
screen and to further enhance our
community programmes so the support
of Nottinghamshire County Council was
vital in securing the matches and enabling
us to increase the scope of our schemes,”
said Tracey.
“There will always be competition
between venues to host major matches
but we want to promote idea-sharing and
we’re really pleased to be working with
other Ashes venues.
“The key message is that this is a unique
opportunity for first-class teams to work
collaboratively because that is something
that has never been done before.”
Whilst Tracey’s team oversee several
schemes that are not cricket-related,
they maintain an over-arching aim to
make cricket the sport of choice in
Nottinghamshire. Countless hours are
spent in clubs and schools ensuring
that facilities are in place, equipment is
available and coaches are up to scratch.
Maintaining their core commitment whilst
delivering Ashes Legacy schemes on an
unprecedented scale will be demanding.
The department have won the ECB award
for Best Community Programme for the
last three years and will make a compelling
case for a fourth if every element of the
proposed scheme bears fruit.
Specific Ashes Legacy Partnership plans
include such schemes as open days where
non-members can watch live coverage
of the Test, a song for the Ashes where
schoolchildren and community groups
will be encouraged to record songs and
an ambitious volunteering scheme to
compliment the Trent Bridge workforce.
“The games-maker concept enthused a
lot of people to think about volunteering
at sporting events but we have routinely
used volunteers at Trent Bridge since ICC
World Twenty20 in 2009,” said Tracey.
“Because of the size of this event, we have
Ashes Legacy Project-
Award winning team
take on new challenge
We want to
be known as an
organisation
that can
affect change
in challenging
circumstances
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