Our Impact
At Durham Cricket Foundation, impact means more than running busy programmes. It means making a real, positive difference to people’s lives – helping children feel confident, helping adults feel connected and helping communities feel they belong.
In 2024, that’s exactly what happened.
Across schools, clubs, hospitals, hubs and community spaces, we used cricket as a tool for fun, friendship, fitness and confidence. Some changes were small and steady. Others were life-changing. All of them mattered.
Below is a snapshot of what we achieved in 2024 – with the full Impact Report available to download.
Making a difference to children & young people
Young people today face new pressures, including mental health challenges and inequality. We believe every child should have the chance to be healthy, active, included and proud of who they are.
Through schools, street cricket, disability cricket, hospital delivery and free holiday camps, we created safe, welcoming spaces where children could play, make friends and feel good about themselves.
2024 highlights
- Delivered in 28% of primary schools region-wide, 3,631 hours of school delivery
- 3,434 pupils benefited from our Whole School Programme
- Weekly Street Cricket and disability hubs running across the county
- Twice-weekly delivery at Great North Children’s Hospital
And the impact went far beyond cricket skills:
- 95.4% of pupils felt included
- 86% felt confident when playing cricket
- 94% of teachers say pupils’ resilience improved
Making a difference to adults in the community
Feeling connected matters at every age. Our programmes help adults stay active, meet new people and look after their wellbeing, especially those who may feel isolated, lonely or inactive.
Our Walking Cricket and Arts & Crafts programmes show how powerful accessible, welcoming activities can be.
Walking Cricket
- 75% became more physically active
- 80% strengthened their friendship circle
- Many returned to cricket after years away, including participants in their 70s, 80s and 90s
Arts & Crafts
- 100% said their mental health improved
- 88% saw stronger friendships
- A safe, creative environment where adults connect, chat and feel valued
Making a difference to our sport
Cricket clubs are the heart of our region and at the core of our commitment to grow and develop our sport for everyone to enjoy. They are places where people belong, volunteer, grow and stay active for life.
2024 highlights
- 7,544 active junior and senior players
- 101 clubs across the county
- Nearly 400 junior teams in our leagues
- Significant growth in girls’ and women’s cricket
Girls’ cricket grew from 37 to 80 in three seasons, with 285 girls’ fixtures delivered in 2024. Women’s cricket fixtures tripled in one season alone – with 275 fixtures taking place amongst 52 women’s teams, 23 more than the year before.
Our ambitions going forward:
Our first Impact Report shows not just what we delivered, but how it changed people’s lives.
We hope you’re inspired and we’d love you to join us in our ambitions through our strategy Reaching Out and Raising Up.
Contact: foundation@durhamcricket.co.uk