Elvaston Cricket Club was the first Cricket Club in the Country to be Clubmark accredited having piloted the scheme with the ECB in 2003. We have since been reaccredited and continue to develop our facilities, links with the local community, sponsorship and membership.

 Clubmark has been outstanding for us. Since our original accreditation we have grown junior membership from around 50 to over 120 and are now limited by available space. We have a 1st XI playing in the Derbyshire Premier league for a second successive year and 2nd, 3rd and 4th teams spread evenly through the Derbyshire County League. We have established links with 4 local Primary and 2 Secondary schools, providing our facilities for matches and delivering coaching in schools. Having been selected to participate in Chance to Shine our coaching in schools programme has extended into more hours coaching per school and Club / Club links with two other local clubs.

Junior cricket is played at Under 9, Kwik, Under 11, Under 12, Under 13, Under 14, Under 15 and Under 17. Many of our juniors have advanced through the adult teams with policies in place which provide opportunities to junior players with potential to participate and contribute in adult cricket.

Partially sighted cricket is also now an integral part of our club, running youth clubs, coaching and matches.

The club has benefited from a number grant schemes which have contributed to new "two lane" synthetic practice nets, a new roller, "two lane" indoor nets at one of our link Secondary Schools, coach education programmes and Cricketforce to name but a few.

All of the above have been huge benefits for us, but most of all the club has moved forward in it's ethos and commitment to maintaining the standards set by Clubmark throughout the membership. The club is in control, planning where it wants to be and taking the necessary action to get there. Clubmark is valued and respected by an increasing number of stakeholders in the Club. There is a momentum driving this forward and we can't encourage other clubs enough to get on board.

Case study submitted by Dave Bull, Clubmark and Commercial Manager,Elvaston Cricket Club