Grounds to Play - Ecb - England and Wales Cricket Board

04ForewordIn May 2005, ECB launched our first strategic plan‘Building Partnerships’. Many at the time describedthe plan as over ambitious, in part because when welaunched the plan, ECB had negative reserves andfunds for investment were scarce. However, we canlook back with pride on having delivered the vastmajority of goals within Building Partnerships.Indeed, partnerships have flourished and have been at the heartof laying solid foundations on which we can now build an excitingfuture. The opportunity for this investment has been driven bysound management of the game’s finances with prioritised andtargeted investment.Streamlining our governance; building participation by morethan 20% per annum (as measured through our focus clubs andCounty Boards); developing women’s cricket; attracting volunteers;expanding our spectator base; introducing grants and loans toclubs; developing disabilities cricket; and regaining the Ashes haveall combined to produce a strong base for our next strategic plan.But the next four year cycle does provide a number of challenges.The global economy is weaker than in 2005 and during our next fouryear period, the UK will host the Olympics which, whilst providingundoubted sporting benefit to our nation, will compete for precioussponsorship.Cricket has through generations been an integral part of our localcommunity. This plan seeks to build and preserve that role.Grounds to Playwww.ecb.co.uk