Rich Words for Members

 

Dear Member, I hope you’re well, and are looking forward to the return of county cricket after a decidedly wet winter. This month has been busy both on and off the field; my latest update includes information on our upcoming member listening events, a round-up of our AGM, and the latest from our cricket and community teams. Member listening event It was great to meet so many of you at last week’s AGM. It was clear to me what our club and venue mean to you all, and I’m excited to work with you to look after the club and grow it over the coming months and years. As mentioned at the AGM, I’m keen to hear your feedback about being a member – and to better understand your interests and priorities. With this in mind, I’d like to invite you to a listening event on Wednesday 25 March – during our pre-season friendly against Loughborough UCCE – to give you an opportunity to share your views. I’m particularly keen to discuss how we can best engage with members, along with your thoughts on the club’s strategy and our facilities. There will be two opportunities to take part on the day – either during the lunch interval (1pm) or after the close of play (6.30pm approx.). If you are interested in joining us, please register here, and we’ll be in touch with further information. AGM update At the AGM, we confirmed the members who were elected to our General Committee for 2026. I’d like to pass on my congratulations to Ravi Badge, Penny Huggard and Fraser Montgomery – and to Ade Brant, who was appointed by the Nominations Panel. My thanks also go to Dave Gunn and Stephen Lehane for their service to the club, as their time on the Committee comes to a close. I confirmed during the AGM that we intend to bring the brand of The Blaze more into line with the Nottinghamshire’s men’s teams from 2027. Ever since they arrived at Trent Bridge in the winter of 2022, The Blaze have been at the heart of this club – and even in my short time here, it has been clear that they are fully embedded in everything we do. Following the transition from a regional to a county-based model for women’s cricket in this country, this feels the right time to unify our professional sides under the Nottinghamshire banner. We’ll share further information on this in the coming months. I hope those of you who attended the AGM found the speeches delivered, and the opportunity to ask questions, useful. More details on the topics covered at the AGM can be found here… Cricket Our most recent Club Showcase was delivered by our Directors of Cricket, Mick Newell and James Cutt. Mick and James spoke of their pre-season preparations, strategic priorities and plans for the future across our men’s and women’s teams. Watch their presentation here… Our men’s academy side have recently returned from their pre-season trip to Mumbai, which I’m sure was a great learning experience both on and off the field. Notts and The Blaze's tours to Abu Dhabi have been cancelled in light of the current situation in the Middle East, with Notts now travelling to South Africa between 10 and 21 March. Our thoughts are with those affected by the situation in the region, and we will provide further updates on pre-season plans in due course. Our men’s and women’s sides have been bolstered by new signings in recent weeks, and I’d like to extend a warm welcome to Charli Knott and George Munsey – and to welcome Orla Prendergast back to the club for a third successive season. Marking Ramadan Last week, we marked Ramadan with an Iftar event for staff, with the Adhan call-to-prayer heard across the ground through the Trent Bridge speaker system. I joined some of my colleagues in fasting for the day, which gave me a new appreciation of the commitment and sacrifice shown by those who fast throughout the month. Watch a short video on the event here… Thank you, as ever for your support. I look forward to seeing you in the opening weeks of the season.

Richard Kenyon Chief Executive