Some of MCC’s community projects were put on hiatus last year, but now MCC’s Community Development team are back delivering a busy winter programme running a variety of initiatives for the local area, for schoolchildren from primary and secondary schools to  older people looking to get active, and beyond.

As part of their employability programme, in October the Club held a workshop for 16–18-year-olds from local secondary schools and colleges to help them develop their CV writing and interview skills. This is a continuation of the programme that began in the summer, in which the participants joined the Club’s team of match day volunteers during The Hundred, learning important work-based skills first-hand. The initiative concludes with opportunities to gain casual employment at the Ground for the 2022 season.

In November the Club will be welcoming students from the University of Westminster for a Sports Marketing Workshop delivered by MCC’s Head of Marketing & Communications. This forms part of a knowledge sharing initiative with the university, in which different areas of the Club are explored and gives students a great insight into a career in sport. 

Cricket sessions delivered by MCC coaches resumed at the beginning of the school year, and for this term, the coaches will be joining forces with Richmond Rugby Club to roll out a new project in two of the primary schools in the borough. Fast Forward is a crime prevention project aimed at educating and mentoring young people who are at risk of gang and crime involvement. Richmond and MCC were able to run activity camps as part of this project during the summer in which the children took part in multi-sport activities and team building games.  

MCC also provide physical activities for older people or anyone looking to increase their activity levels, and walking cricket is perfect to get moving, while having fun and meet new people. Resuming on Friday 12 November at Lord’s Indoor Cricket Centre, the sessions will be held from 10.00 to 12.00 on a weekly basis until the end of the year. Email community@mcc.org.uk to sign up to attend these sessions.

The CEO Sleepout Event returns to Lord’s on the 22 November, where the Ground becomes home for the night to business leaders, managers and senior executives who will be sleeping outdoors to raise money to tackle homelessness and poverty across the UK. Find out more information here.