LORD’S CHEERS DREAMING BIG
ECB’s cricket volunteers’ initiative for south Asian women ‘has transformed lives’
INSPIRATIONAL south Asian women celebrated their achievements as cricket volunteers during the England women’s ODI match against India women at Lord’s last Saturday (24).
The Dream Big Desi Women initiative has seen more than 2,000 women become volunteers in just under four years.
Funded by Sport England, which provided £1.2 million over the first two years, the programme is part of the ECB’s (England and Wales Cricket Board) South Asian Action Plan. To qualify as a volunteer, participants complete an eight-week training course, after which they are able to lead All Stars and Dynamos coaching sessions for children aged 5-11.
Each of the 2,000 volunteers have delivered sessions for children. At least 10 per cent have gone on to take up fulltime roles in sport in local communities across the UK, with many gaining further qualifications in cricket coaching.
“Dream Big Desi Women transformed my life in ways I couldn’t have imagined. I went from having no real experience of sport to coaching at three separate cricket clubs in Nottingham and running cricket sessions in a local school alongside my day job,” said participant Harpreet Kalsi-Virdi.
“My family have been nothing but supportive, and I am proud to be a role model for my twin daughters and their friends,” she added.
The programme, rolled out in England’s most ethnically diverse communities, dismantles barriers faced by south Asian women by taking cricket into nontraditional venues including mosques, temples and gurdwaras.
It also provides playing kit specially tailored to south Asian cultures, giving
participants a chance to build networks in local communities, and has delivered mental health awareness training for more than 200 of the participants.
“Women from south Asian backgrounds, from stories we’ve heard, they tend to prioritise other things and sport or time for themselves was always pushed to the bottom of the agenda,” said Shruti Saujani, the ECB’s engagement lead for equity, diversity and inclusion, who has led the programme from its inception.
“So making sure they had the time and also a safe space or a place where they felt comfortable to carry out or partake in activity was crucial.
“Having opportunities on their doorstep was important. With the programme
we’ve gone to mosques, gurdwaras, temples, local leisure centres that have been walking distance for the women.
“We’ve made sure that the timings of our sessions have been at a time that suits them so that they can do everything else that life has for them.
“We’ve also made sure that we’ve profiled and celebrated the women to show how great they have been and how they have inspired that next generation.”
The celebration of the project at Lord’s gave the women an opportunity to walk the boundary rope to the acclaim of fans in attendance. Those at the ground also got to enjoy traditional south Asian activities including kitemaking, henna and south Asian food.
“The Dream Big Desi Women programme
has been a remarkable project led by an incredible group of women at the ECB. This was an ambitious target, so it is heartening to have reached the milestone of inspiring more than 2,000 south Asian women to volunteer in cricket in just under four years,” said David Mahoney, the ECB’s chief operating officer, who was instrumental in creating the programme.
“The programme, created in partnership with Sport England, has created an amazing team of volunteers that have inspired thousands of children in communities across the UK to play cricket, connecting communities and improving lives. It is entirely fitting that we celebrate the volunteers’ achievements on the day England play India at Lord’s.”