Volunteers鈥� Week is always a highlight in the cricket calendar. It鈥檚 a moment to pause, reflect and recognise the thousands of people who give their time, skills and passion to help the game thrive. Every club, every matchday, every young person picking up a bat for the first time - none of it happens without volunteers.
And when you spend time with volunteers, you get a real sense of cricket鈥檚 direction of travel. The chats in clubhouses, on boundary edges and around committee tables often tell you more about the game鈥檚 future than any report.
Volunteers don鈥檛 just sustain cricket; they shape what comes next. Inspiring the next player, the next volunteer - these small moments shape the future of our game. This year, a few themes have really shone through.
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1. The volunteers keeping cricket alive鈥� and how their roles are changing
Every club has those people who turn up early, lock up late and make sure everything in between actually works. They鈥檙e sorting fixtures, balancing budgets, checking safeguarding plans, updating websites, fixing things that break and noticing things others miss.
And it鈥檚 not just clubs. League volunteers, including fixtures secretaries, administrators, results coordinators and so many others, play a huge part in keeping the game running smoothly week after week. Their work often happens behind the scenes, but the impact is felt across every matchday.
Reading through this year鈥檚 Cricket Collective Awards, what was striking wasn鈥檛 just the dedication, it was the sheer range of skills now involved in running clubs and leagues. Governance, digital systems, safeguarding, finance, community partnerships. The job description of a 鈥渧olunteer鈥� is broader than ever.
But we鈥檙e also seeing something just as important: volunteering doesn鈥檛 have to mean a committee role. More people are time鈥憄oor, and many assume they don鈥檛 have enough capacity to help, when in reality, 30 minutes a week can make a huge difference. These small, flexible contributions are becoming a vital part of how clubs and leagues can keep things moving.
Without all these individuals, in every shape and size of role, cricket simply wouldn鈥檛 happen.
Our ambition is to keep investing in training, tools and support that make these roles manageable, sustainable and rewarding.
2. Specialist skills are becoming part of the heartbeat of volunteering
We鈥檙e seeing more volunteers bringing specific expertise into the game - people who can support clubs with things like facilities, digital tools, planning and maintenance. These skills are becoming increasingly valuable as cricket faces new demands and expectations.
Grounds management is a good example of where this shift is showing up, and this has been shown clearly at The Staffordshire Association of Grounds Managers. Known as 鈥楽TAG鈥�, this network of grounds managers are committed to sharing expertise and bringing new volunteers through. Many of those stepping into these roles are younger than you might expect, learning from experienced hands and supported by proper training.
Preparing a pitch is only part of it. These volunteers are thinking about sustainability, weather resilience, accessibility - the things that will decide whether cricket remains playable in the years ahead.
Our goal is to keep building pathways for specialist volunteers, and to keep sharing and championing the expertise of others 鈥� like at Staffordshire - so we can help protect cricket鈥檚 long-term future.
3. When cricket volunteers come together, it鈥檚 powerful
Get Set Weekend 2026, powered by Toyota, was the biggest we鈥檝e ever had. More than 39,500 people supported this year, a number that鈥檚 impressive on paper but even more meaningful when you see what it looks like in real life.
Thousands of volunteers painting fences, repairing nets, clearing out storerooms, making tea, welcoming new members and getting clubs ready for the season.
Seeing it in action at St Albans Cricket Club - alongside England players, Lauren Bell, Issy Wong and Sam Curran 鈥� was a brilliant reminder of what really holds the game together: the people who show up and give their time, week in and week out.
4. Cricket鈥檚 strength comes from volunteers of every age, working side by side.
At St Albans Cricket Club, we saw something that feels increasingly common: teenagers working alongside long鈥憇tanding volunteers, parents pitching in, and people of all ages learning from each other.
These relationships are so important to create continuity. They help clubs avoid the 鈥渃liff edge鈥� when key volunteers step back. They give young people a sense of belonging and older volunteers a chance to pass on what they know.听
It鈥檚 one of the reasons we launched The Young Cricket Collective earlier this year - to give young volunteers the confidence and support to take on meaningful roles. More than 650 young people aged 14鈥�18 will begin their volunteering journey this summer, building experience alongside those already embedded in the game. When generations connect, clubs become more resilient and better prepared for the future.
5. New volunteers are arriving, and they鈥檙e shaping what comes next
Perhaps the most encouraging trend this year is the number of new people stepping forward.
Some are young leaders taking on responsibility early. Others are discovering cricket for the first time through community programmes. Many simply want to contribute to something local and meaningful.
With the ICC Women鈥檚 T20 World Cup 2026 approaching, volunteers will play a huge part - not just in delivering the event, but in shaping the legacy it leaves for the women鈥檚 game.
We鈥檙e committed to making it easier for people to get involved, in ways that fit their lives and their interests.
A final thank you
To every volunteer, whether you give an hour here and there or carry a club through a season, thank you. You shape the experience of players, families and communities across England and Wales.
And if you鈥檙e part of the game, whether a player, parent, coach or supporter, please take a moment this week to say thank you. A small gesture of thanks will mean a lot of the people who make cricket happen.
If you鈥檙e thinking about joining, there鈥檚 no better time than now. The game is growing, and there鈥檚 a place for anyone who wants to be part of it. You can to stay connected and inspired, or find a club near you and take your first step into volunteering.