DCB Accounts Summary

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As part of our commitment to good governance and transparency the Board is pleased to published the attached abridged financial statements for the year ended 31 January 2021.  We will continue to publish similar accounts in future so that the cricket network in Devon is aware of our financial position and how this impacts how we can deliver our strategy to grow the game.

The Board is currently finalising its strategy covering the period to 31 January 2025 in line with the principles of the England and Wales Cricket Board’s “Inspired Generations” strategy and has also recently signed a new County Partnership Agreement (CPA) covering the same period to 31 January 2025 which secures funding for its core activities around the development of the grassroots game in the county and funding for Boys and Girls Talent Pathways.  This funding will be an increase on funding previously received in grants from the ECB and will enable to the Board to invest in several new employment posts including a fourth area Club & Community Coach who will cover South Devon including Torbay and a Facilities & Funding Manager who will support clubs with facility development projects and work with stakeholders such as groundsman, local authorities and grant providers to develop all aspects of cricket facilities in the County.

The CPA includes a number of conditions which the Board must adhere to in order to qualify for the funding in areas of governance, safeguarding, equality, diversity & inclusion, regulatory responsibilities and operational delivery.  The Board staff and directors are currently working to ensure all of these conditions will be met over the period covered by the CPA.

These results also include the financial activity of the Devon Cricket Coaches Association which runs the coach education programme within the county.  This activity has historically been operated by a separately constituted volunteer run association, but the operation is now being run by the professional staff of the Board so the funds and results have been consolidated into these financial statements.

The results for the year show a surplus of £113,418.  This, however, is slightly misleading in as much as £50,312 of this surplus arises from the transfer of reserves from Devon Cricket Coaches Association.  A further £72,493 of one-off income came from the use of the government business support in the form of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.  Our original budget was for a circa £50,000 surplus so to have ended up “on budget” despite not receiving any affiliation income and being unable to deliver a number of activities due to the pandemic is a fantastic result.

A number of costs have been reduced this year e.g. travel, largely arising out of the pandemic which has helped us stay in a healthy financial position.  The intention was also to use the surplus to invest in further posts (such as those mentioned above) over the lifetime of the current funding deal with the ECB and to allow us to make some other investments such as a significant upgrade to our internal IT systems during the current year.

During year the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the sport of cricket.  Recreational cricket activity was not permitted during the national lockdowns in 2020 and the winter of 2020/21 and there have been significant financial repercussions for our member clubs and our grant providers as well as some of our activity, particularly our schools coaching activity funded by Chance to Shine which was suspended due to school closures.  Our social inclusion and wellbeing project in Plymouth, Wicketz, and our disability engagement programme, both funded by the Lord’s Taverners were also significantly impacted by the lockdown.  By agreement with the funders, funding received in the period has been carried forward and will be utilised to restart these programmes in 2021/22.

Delivery of indoor cricket activity including winter coaching for County Age Group and Emerging Player Programmes was also restricted by the November 2021 and January 2021 lockdowns.

The ECB have confirmed that the funding it provides to its member County Boards (of which Devon Cricket Board Limited is one) will be protected until at least 31 January 2025 which means that the Board is in a position to be a confident about its longer term future.  This financial support commitment was made possible partly due to the continuation of televised international cricket (behind closed doors) in summer 2020.  The delayed commencement of the new “Hundred” competition and international matches being played behind closed doors is likely to impact the ECB’s finances in the long term and therefore the extent of future financial support.

The Board will continue to closely monitor its cashflow and financial position to ensure it is able to continue to operate in its current structure and at current staffing levels.  Government financial support such as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) has been utilised in order to further protect the company’s financial position.

Jon Sparkes

Chair

October 2021