The Surrey Cricket Foundation is pleased to share that the organisation’s walking cricket initiative has been shortlisted for Community Engagement Programme of the Year at the upcoming ECB Business of Cricket Awards.
Walking Cricket has been growing at pace over the past five years thanks to the impact of the late Pirbright Cricket Club President Derek Bytheway in demonstrating the opportunity and impact that the game could have on older people. Derek, who was living with Parkinson’s Disease, was a founding member of the walking cricket programme at Pirbright and was able to convince Assistant Director of Cricket Participation Simon Hards of the significant impact that walking cricket could have across Surrey and beyond.
Sadly, Derek passed away in 2021 but his legacy lives on through the growth we have been able to deliver in walking cricket since. What was once a chance conversation has now turned into a fully-fledged programme with 26 clubs now offering the format, supporting more than 700 players.
There were 46% more women playing in 2026, along with a 60% increase in players from a minor ethnic background. 36% of participants surveyed this year said that they had never played cricket before trying the walking format of the game.
In its infancy, Coaching Centre Leadership provided valuable sponsorship, before more significant funding was secured from the Titsey Foundation and the England and Wales Cricket Board, which allowed for the Surrey Cricket Foundation to appoint Kim Price on a part-time basis to manage the programme.
Walking cricket brings many benefits to its participants; improving physical health, mental health and providing an environment where participants can meet new people and seek a renewed purpose in later life.
The Surrey Cricket Foundation will learn whether or not this project is a winner during a ceremony at the Kia Oval on Thursday 12th November.
Speaking of the award nomination, Simon Hards said:
‘It is a huge honour for the walking cricket programme to have been shortlisted for a Business of Cricket Award. After meeting Derek and seeing the impact that walking cricket had had on him I was sold on the idea of trying to develop the format more widely and we have worked hard with a number of other supportive stakeholders to develop a growth model over the past five years. Whilst Derek is sadly no longer with us, I see the growth that has followed as Derek’s legacy.
“The game is having such a positive impact on peoples’ lives and I have heard numerous stories about how walking cricket has changed outlooks, improved health outcomes and given people a renewed sense of purpose.
“The growth has been astonishing, and we are just getting started. Based on the recent growth curve we expect to see well over 1,500 walking cricketers participating in Surrey within the next two years which is just fantastic.”
