CONNECT IT UTILITY SERVICES AND HAMPSHIRE CRICKET CHAMPION THE NEXT GENERATION OF GIRLS IN SPORT

Connect It Utility Services and Hampshire Cricket are joining forces in their shared 25th anniversary year to champion opportunities for girls and women across both professional sport and industry.

The partnership is focused on supporting grassroots girls’ cricket in Hampshire, while also highlighting the growing opportunities available to women within sectors traditionally underrepresented by females, including construction and elite sport.

As part of the initiative, the two organisations recently supported Paulton’s Cricket Club, which has seen significant growth in its girls’ and ladies’ cricket sections in recent years. Young players from the club were invited to a special surprise coaching evening designed to inspire the next generation, both on and off the pitch.

The session began with a visit from Serena Vincent, the UK’s leading female shot putter, who put the girls through a fun but demanding Team GB-style warm-up session before speaking about her own journey into professional sport, the dedication required to compete at the highest level and the challenges of remaining at the top of her field.

The players were then joined by Poppy Tulloch, Ella McCaughan and AJ Wellington from the Hampshire Cricket women’s team, who led a full training session with the youngsters, offering coaching, encouragement and insight into the pathway into professional cricket.

The partnership continued when the girls were invited to take part in Hampshire Cricket’s major 25th anniversary celebrations at Utilita Bowl on Friday 29 May, as Hampshire Hawks took on Surrey in a retro-themed Vitality Blast T20 double header.

With a “Party Like It’s 2001” theme, the event celebrated 25 years of The Bowl with an all-day festival atmosphere, combining fast-paced T20 cricket with entertainment inspired by the venue’s early years. As part of the experience, the Paulton’s players were part of a guard of honour for the teams and also took part in the coin toss ahead of the match.

Rob Paddon, Commercial Director at Hampshire Cricket, said: “We are passionate about creating opportunities for young people to get involved in cricket and to see a pathway into the professional game. Working with Connect It Utility Services to support grassroots girls’ cricket is a fantastic way to celebrate our shared anniversary year while investing in the future of the sport. The growth of the women’s game is incredibly exciting, and it’s important that young players can meet and learn from female role models already competing at the highest level.”

Laban Giles, Managing Director at Connect It Utility Services, said: “As two organisations celebrating 25 years, this partnership is about much more than cricket. It’s about showing young women the opportunities available to them, whether that’s in professional sport, construction, utilities or engineering. We want to help inspire confidence, ambition and belief at a grassroots level, and Paulton’s Cricket Club is doing an incredible job creating opportunities for girls within the local community.”

Nicky Morris, Paulton’s Cricket Club said: “The growth of our girls’ and ladies’ section has been one of the proudest achievements for the club in recent years, so to see organisations like Hampshire Cricket and Connect It investing their time and support into these young players is hugely valuable. The girls had an unforgettable evening and the opportunity to be involved in such a major event at Utilita Bowl was a fantastic experience for them.”

Serena Vincent added: “It was brilliant to meet the girls at Paulton’s Cricket Club and hopefully show them that with hard work, resilience and confidence, there are so many opportunities available to them in sport.”