Formby cricket coach crowned Lancashire Girls’ Cricket Champion after inspiring a new generation

A dedicated Formby Cricket Club volunteer who is helping to inspire a new generation of girls to pick up a bat and discover cricket has received a prestigious Lancashire-wide award.

Ben Chapman, who volunteers at Formby Cricket Club, has been named the 2026 Girls’ Cricket Champion at the Lancashire Cricket Foundation’s Cricket Collective Awards, recognising his outstanding work creating opportunities for young girls to get involved in the sport.

The annual awards celebrate the often unsung volunteers who give up their time to keep grassroots cricket thriving across Lancashire, and this year attracted a record number of nominations.

Ben was recognised for his work building on Formby Cricket Club’s established women’s section and, importantly, creating a dedicated pathway that allows girls to begin playing cricket at a young age and continue developing within the club.

Through coaching, hands-on support, developing other coaches and encouraging more girls to take part, Ben has helped launch a new Under-11 girls’ team at Formby Cricket Club.

But his ambition goes much further than simply creating one team.

His long-term aim is to ensure girls joining the club today have a genuine pathway through cricket so they can still be playing when they are 15, 18 and beyond.

Ben, who has played cricket himself for around 30 years, said he was incredibly humbled to receive the award.

“You don’t get involved in grassroots cricket for the recognition, but it is lovely to know that the work we’re doing at Formby is being noticed.”

“I’ve played cricket for around 30 years and genuinely believe it’s the greatest sport in the world, so I want as many girls as possible to have the opportunity to experience everything it can give them.”

Ben said having a daughter who plays cricket herself has also shown him just how important it is for girls to have opportunities specifically designed for them.

“Having a daughter who plays has also made me realise how important it is that girls have opportunities and pathways that work for them, rather than simply having to fit into what already exists for boys.

“We’ve made brilliant progress, but for me it’s about making sure the girls coming into the game now still have somewhere to play when they’re 15, 18 and beyond.”

Ben was also keen to share the recognition with everyone who has helped develop girls’ cricket at the Formby club.

“This award belongs to everyone who has helped us build that environment at Formby Cricket Club, and hopefully we can use it to encourage even more girls to pick up a bat and give cricket a go.”

Record year for Lancashire cricket volunteers

The Lancashire Cricket Foundation Cricket Collective Awards are now in their fourth year and invite clubs across Lancashire to nominate the people who make grassroots cricket possible.

There are 12 award categories, including Coach of the Year, Grounds Management Team of the Year, Girls’ Cricket Champion of the Year and Lifetime Achiever.

This year’s awards received a record number of nominations, with the Foundation reporting an exceptionally high standard of entries.

Following judging by a panel of four senior Lancashire Cricket Foundation officers, the winners were celebrated at a special on-pitch ceremony at Emirates Old Trafford, the home of Lancashire Cricket Club.

Awards were presented by Lancashire and Scotland women’s cricketer Ailsa Lister, Paul Coughlin and fast bowler Ajeet Singh-Dale, alongside Lancashire Cricket Foundation Chair John Murphy.

Jen Barden, Managing Director of the Lancashire Cricket Foundation, described Ben as a “shining example” of the difference volunteers can make.

She said: “Ben is a shining example of how instrumental volunteers are to the development and potential of club cricket. Without his hard work and determination in coaching girls into cricket, Formby Cricket Club couldn’t have provided such a brilliant facility to youngsters in the local community.”

She added that volunteers across Lancashire make community cricket “a place of hope, inspiration and belonging”.

For Formby Cricket Club, Ben’s award is not only recognition of one volunteer’s commitment, but also a celebration of the growing opportunities available to local girls who want to get involved in cricket.

And perhaps the most exciting part is what comes next.

With an Under-11 girls’ team now established and a longer-term pathway being developed, the youngsters picking up a bat at Formby today could be the players representing the club’s women’s teams for many years to come.

Congratulations to Ben and everyone involved with girls’ cricket at Formby Cricket Club – a fantastic achievement and wonderful recognition for grassroots sport here in Formby.