Letter from Lisa

I am writing to wish you and your family all the very best in these challenging times and to provide an update on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the club.

We were recently informed by the England & Wales Cricket Board that domestic cricket has now been postponed until 1 July.

The ECB have been planning for a number of different scenarios for both domestic and international cricket. They are taking into account a number of factors, not least government advice.

We now know that the best-case scenario is a July resumption, which could accommodate all formats of the county game. If there are further delays, the Vitality Blast and County Championship will be prioritised.

With so much cricket displaced, we, like you, are waiting to hear what a revised domestic schedule and fixture list may look like. We will, of course, continue to share any meaningful updates.

In relation to the international cricket we are scheduled to host this year, we remain hopeful that, given the timing of our matches in August and September, those games will still be held at Trent Bridge.

Given that the start of our domestic season has been delayed, that recreational cricket is on hold indefinitely, and that our venue remains closed to the public in line with government guidelines, the impact on our business has been dramatic and rapid.

Since mid-March, all of our usual activities have been suspended and our income has understandably been severely affected. As such, the challenging task of taking measures to protect the future of our club is continuing in earnest.

We have been working closely with the ECB and all counties to evolve our understanding regarding the far-reaching impact of the crisis.

The importance of imposing wide-ranging cost control measures to protect the club has become very clear and is something we have committed to.

However, Trent Bridge is all about people and against the backdrop of uncertainty, we have done all we can to protect and support our staff as we look ahead to better times.

Since early April, a significant number of our employees, including our players, have been placed on furlough leave under the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

Our key services are being maintained by a small team who have not been placed on furlough leave. This team includes our Head Groundsman Steve Birks, who is maintaining the condition of our playing surfaces. We will be doing everything possible to ensure we are ready to resume cricket just as soon as we are able to do so.

To assist the club, all non-playing staff, irrespective of being furloughed or retained, have agreed to take voluntary pay cuts. With the England & Wales Cricket Board, the Professional Cricketers’ Association and representatives of the First-Class counties having brokered a game-wide solution in relation to player salaries, our players are contributing equitably too.

This was a unanimous decision, with all staff, coaches and players wanting to play their part. We have also ensured that no member of staff falls below the minimum wage as a result of these actions.

We are pulling together as one club and, having collectively navigated our way through some difficult decisions in the last few weeks, we can now be more outward facing.

Our aim is to focus our energies on supporting our members, our neighbours and the wider community to foster positivity and meaningful action in these trying times.

One of our earlier initiatives was to pick up the phone and commence contacting members to check on their welfare and share experiences. Our retained staff, including Director of Cricket Mick Newell, Head Coach Peter Moores and physio James Pipe, are all involved and those calls are well underway.

We have all taken great heart from the attitude of those on the other end of the phone. A theme of solidarity and stoicism is emerging and that is something I have been delighted to hear.

Members have shared their cricketing memories and the common theme, irrespective of age or length of association with the club, is that you are all missing cricket and can’t wait to return to Trent Bridge.

If one of your friends or family is a member of our club – and you believe they would particularly welcome a call – please let us know here and we will do our best to facilitate.

Furthermore, I’m aware that many of you have been similarly checking in on each other, offering contact and a friendly voice in challenging times – and long may that continue.

Our targeted acts of support are now stretching further into our communities. Early initiatives include partnering with organisations to help provide hot meals to homeless, sheltered & vulnerable individuals in the local area, and donations of memorabilia to the Robin Hood Fund in partnership with our Club Sponsor, John Pye.

There will be ways and means for you, as members of the club, to play your part in the community effort and share your own stories. We will share that process with you in the coming weeks.

Should you wish to contact the club, as we are operating a skeleton staff working from home, it would assist us greatly if you could use the email address questions@nottsccc.co.uk in the first instance wherever possible. We will respond as quickly and with as much information as we can.

We will, meanwhile, endeavour to communicate with you regularly by email and to provide a consistent supply of content via our website and social media channels.

Thank you for your continued support and your patience during these unprecedented times.

Let’s hope the sun continues to shine and we all get to see each other at Trent Bridge very soon.

Kind regards,

Lisa Pursehouse

Chief Executive