The Surrey Cricket Foundation (SCF) has released its 2025 Impact Report, reflecting a year in which cricket continued to inspire, connect and transform lives across Surrey and south London. Rooted in our commitment to Making More Happen, the report highlights how cricket created new opportunities, strengthened communities and broadened access across every part of the recreational game.
In schools, cricket continued to enrich the lives of thousands of children. In 2025, 18,379 pupils engaged in school cricket sessions delivered or supported by SCF, building confidence, skills and enthusiasm for the game from an early age. School competitions also played a vital role, giving young players the chance to represent their school and experience the excitement of competitive fixtures.
Junior cricket remained a strong and growing pathway. The Surrey Junior Cricket Championship welcomed 19,557 young players in 2025 – a nearly 5% increase on the previous year – reflecting steady momentum and a thriving environment for young people to stay engaged, develop their skills and enjoy a clear progression route within the game.
Adult cricket enjoyed one of its most positive seasons yet, with 25,789 adults taking part in league cricket – a 17% rise compared with 2024. Whether through traditional formats or flexible options like the Surrey Slam, players across Surrey and south London continued to find opportunities to stay active in the sport and maintain their connection to the cricketing community.
Together, these developments illustrate our commitment to providing More Games across Surrey and south London – ensuring people of all ages and abilities have meaningful, accessible and enjoyable ways to play cricket.
Alongside growing participation, SCF invested significantly in the places and people who make cricket possible. This year saw a 26% increase in newly trained coaches, contributing to 546 individuals gaining coaching qualifications. We also supported the development of umpires and scorers, strengthening the workforce that sustains recreational cricket and helping ensure the game can be delivered in More Places – from schools and clubs to parks and community hubs.
Facility investment continued too, with more than £257,000 awarded through a combination of County Grants Fund and SCF grants, enabling clubs and community venues to improve playing surfaces, nets and infrastructure.
Our commitment to More Inclusion across the game remained central. Women and girls’ cricket saw another year of meaningful progress, with 6,318 players taking part – an almost 17% increase compared with 2024. More clubs now offer women’s and girls’ cricket, strengthening pathways and ensuring female players experience welcoming, sustainable environments to learn and thrive.
Disability cricket also continued to make a profound difference, with 1,435 participants engaging in inclusive activities across specialist hubs, schools and community programmes.
Cricket’s impact extended far beyond participation alone. Initiatives supporting wellbeing, social connection and community cohesion – including walking cricket, refugee cricket and employability opportunities – remained essential parts of SCF’s work, creating More Opportunities to Change Lives through the game and helping people feel supported, included and empowered.
Beyond the numbers, the report also shines a spotlight on first person stories from across the SCF network – including Immy, Mo, Grishma and Jess – whose journeys show the difference cricket can make to confidence, belonging and opportunity. Their voices give life to the stats, demonstrating how, through the game, we can empower individuals at every stage of their cricketing journey.
Chris Coleman, Director of Cricket Participation, said: “This year’s Impact Report reflects how cricket continues to inspire, unite and transform lives across Surrey and south London. Guided by our focus on creating More Games, More Places, More Inclusion and More Opportunities to Change Lives, we’ve seen cricket embedded in more schools, embraced by more communities and strengthened by the dedication of our workforce and volunteers. None of this is possible without the commitment of our partners, donors, clubs and staff, and I’m incredibly grateful for everything they do to support us in Making More Happen. Together, we are building a game that is more accessible, more welcoming and more impactful than ever before.”
