Somerset Cricket Club has been honored with a national award for its efforts to advance the game and support communities and groups.
North Petherton Cricket Club has won the Connecting Communities Award at the 2023 Community Cricket Awards.
The awards recognize and celebrate the hard work and dedication of cricket volunteers across England and Wales, with one winner revealed daily from 1-11 December.
District councils have awarded winners in their area across 11 different categories since the end of the summer, and from that group a panel of experts has selected the national winners.
A spokesperson for North Petherton Cricket Club said: “We are humbled that our support for a nationally accepted Somerset Cricket Foundation project has received a Connecting Communities Award from the ECB.
“All welcome to our club.”
An England and Wales Cricket Board spokesperson said: “North Petherton CC in Somerset has gone above and beyond to include people seeking asylum and refuge.
“The club has wholeheartedly supported the Maqbool Together Fund’s Diverse Communities Project, encouraging social interaction and wellbeing for members of the communities, and providing cricketing opportunities for those who have not played the game before.”
Also among the awards is Somerset-based Super 1 trainer Scarlett Hill.
It was highly commended in the Game Changer Award category for a young volunteer making a difference in the game (for people aged 17-25).
An ECB spokesperson said: “In the two years that Scarlett Hill has been volunteering at Super 1’s in Somerset, her impact has been immeasurable. Her enthusiasm, kindness and unparalleled energy have allowed each player to come out of their shell and express themselves.”