Young Lancaster woman named champion of girls' cricket

Georgia Simm, who volunteers at Lancaster Cricket Club, has been awarded the Metro Bank Champion of Girls Cricket by the Lancashire Cricket Foundation (LCF).

She won the accolade at the LCF Cricket Collective Awards, an annual programme designed to champion those who offer their time to support grassroots cricket clubs.

Creating a thriving girls' section from the ground up, Georgia took home the award for her outstanding commitment to growing girls' cricket at Lancaster Cricket Club. Alongside coaching the women's team, she has recruited, organised and coached three girls' teams, creating a fun, welcoming and inclusive environment that has inspired many young players to continue their cricketing journey. Her energy, enthusiasm and dedication have transformed opportunities for girls at the club and made a lasting impact on everyone involved.

Georgia said: “When I was growing up, there wasn’t really a girls’ pathway or female cricketers I could look to and think, ‘that could be me’. I played with the boys because that was all that was available, so when I got older I decided I wanted to help create something different.

“We started the women’s section at Lancaster three years ago and it’s been amazing to see how quickly things have grown, and we’re potentially adding even more junior teams next year. I absolutely love seeing how enthusiastic the girls are and watching them develop, and it’s really exciting to see the women’s game changing, for them. They can go and watch women playing at the highest level and see role models they can genuinely identify with.

“Girls’ cricket has come such a long way in a relatively short time and I’m really proud to be playing a small part in where it goes next.”

The LCF Cricket Collective Awards invites cricket clubs across Lancashire to nominate volunteers into 12 different categories, including Coach of the Year, Grounds Management Team of the Year, Official of the Year and Lifetime Achiever. This year, the competition – now in its fourth year – received a record number of nominations, with a higher quality standard of entry than ever before.

Nominations for entries were launched during LCF’s Volunteers Week which took place in June. Following the deadline for submissions, a judging panel of four senior officers within LCF whittled down the nominations to a shortlist, with the winners announced during a glittering on-pitch celebration held at Emirates Old Trafford, the home of Lancashire Cricket Club, on Friday 4th August.

Winners were presented with their awards by Lancashire and Scottish women’s cricketer Ailsa Lister, right-handed batter Paul Coughlin and fast bowler Ajeet Singh-Dale. They were joined by LCF’s Chair, John Murphy.

Jen Barden, Managing Director for LCF, said: “Georgia is a shining example of how instrumental volunteers are to the development and potential of club cricket. Without her hard work and determination in coaching young girls, Lancaster Cricket Club couldn’t have inspired so many in the community to develop a love for the game – something we’re so passionate about here at LCF.

“This has already been a fantastic year for women’s cricket, thanks to the brilliant T20 World Cup, and I hope future competitions and the work of people like Georgia encourages lots more girls to join the sport.

“On behalf of LCF, I’d like to congratulate and thank Georgia, all our winners and nominees as well as those who contribute to the game week in, week out across Lancashire, because they each make community cricket what it is – a place of hope, inspiration and belonging.

“I’d also like to acknowledge the brilliant LCF team who work tirelessly to support cricket clubs across the region. To have received a record number of nominations this year is testament to their dedication in celebrating volunteers and their vital work, ensuring they feel a valued part of the wider cricket eco-system in Lancashire.”

Find more information about Lancashire Cricket Foundation here.