Regular visitors to Falkland CC will be aware of how the club benefits the sporting, social and community aspects of Wash Common, south Newbury and the wider area. Falkand CC is proud that this has also recently been recognised by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) – the governing body of the game nationally. At the annual awards ceremony for Clubs and Volunteers (known as the OSCA’s and held at Lords Cricket Ground), Falkland was recognised as providing the Most Diverse and Inspiring Cricket Offer. Members, parents and players will be aware of the breadth of cricket activity that supports this award but the following were specifically mentioned at the ceremony:

• A vibrant club environment where the sport of cricket flourishes due to the strong community and social opportunities on offer, alongside the excellent cricket facilities.
• The success of bringing large numbers of girls and women into the sport, and providing a structure that encourages them to participate in junior and senior league cricket as they progress.
• An energetic All Stars scheme for 5 to 8 years olds that has been successful in getting families new to cricket into the club and the game.
• Good growth in numbers of Junior boys due to a well-structured environment that provides fun and sport, with many of the older boys successfully making the transition into club senior cricket.
• Provision of an expertly run weekly cricket session for adults with disabilities.
• Weekly ‘walking cricket’ sessions for retired men and women, run in conjunction with The Parkinsons Society and U3A, to encourage exercise and social connections.

The new Family Membership being trialled this year has also been a success in terms of getting a greater number of parents involved with running Junior Girls and Boys cricket and enticing a number of parents into returning to cricket themselves.

Club Chairman John Bolan says “It is fantastic to see cricket in many forms thrive at Falkland, along with the social benefits that the club brings to our local community. Falkland has always been an important part of this community and it is fabulous that our successful efforts to diversify over the years has been recognised by the ECB. It has been a pleasure to play a part in this over the years, and to know that the large investment we are making on behalf of our community will provide a legacy for this success for many years to come”.

For more insight into the OSCA's and the awards ceremony, see the video in the 'gallery' section on this website.