On Sunday a presentation took place at Headingley Carnegie Cricket Ground to celebrate a £20,000 staff development project led by the England and Wales Cricket Board and SkillsActive. It is expected that the project will lead to a surge in player participation, club membership, coaching and volunteer roles

On Sunday a presentation took place at Headingley Carnegie Cricket Ground to celebrate a £20,000 staff development project led by the England and Wales Cricket Board and SkillsActive. It is expected that the project will lead to a surge in player participation, club membership, coaching and volunteer roles.

The ECB and SkillsActive - the Sector Skills Council for Active Leisure and Learning - have been working closely for the past two years to identify ways of developing the cricket workforce to meet the changing needs of ECB's customers. A recent staff development programme focused on developing the management and leadership skills of 24 cricket development staff deployed by the ECB across the six counties in the north. The role of the development staff is to administer the growth of the game, providing help and advice on all aspects of cricket.

The management and leadership programme was based on a general exploration of key elements of the National Occupational Standards for management and leadership, including self management and personal skills, facilitating change, working with people, using resources and achieving results.

The outcomes of the programme have been extremely positive, with a 27 per cent increase in cricket participation across the northern region in the last year, a 16 per cent increase in club membership and a 26 percent increase in coaching/volunteer roles.

Brokered by SkillsActive, funding for the management and leadership programme came from the Train to Gain Enhancement Fund in Yorkshire and through management and leadership funding by Business Link in the North West and North East regions.

Pete Ackerley, head of development for the ECB, said: "Our cricket development staff have a vital role to play at the ECB and by investing in their personal development, we've been able to make a significant difference to cricket in the north. In the past year, we've delivered on all our key strategic outcomes, increasing player participation, as well as membership in the clubs. Through effective management and leadership, we've been able to identify opportunities and tackle challenges.

"The match on Sunday is to say thank you to SkillsActive for helping us achieve these outcomes and to highlight just how important it is to invest in the skills of your staff."

SkillsActive chief executive, Stephen Studd, said: "It is SkillsActive's role to ensure governing bodies of sport receive the support they require to develop their workforce and ultimately achieve their organisational objectives, so we are thrilled that the ECB is seeing tangible results from its work with SkillsActive in the north.

"Like any organisation or business, good management and leadership is fundamental to success. Providing opportunities for managers to develop can therefore have a huge impact on your business."

The ECB and SkillsActive are now working in partnership with the National Skills Academy for Sport and Active Leisure, Sports Coach UK and UKCC to implement a scheme in cricket clubs in the north specifically focused on the personal development of coaches and volunteers. The scheme will incorporate a coaching bursary programme to increase the number of qualified cricket coaches in the region.