How two 12-year-old friends kept their cricket club afloat during the Covid-19 lockdown

LOCKDOWN HEROES: THE WINNERS - YOUNG HERO: Lucy Axcell and Katie Sturgess raised more than £1,800 with a sponsored bike ride to give a much-needed boost to Penkridge CC, which had seen several major events to celebrate its 70th birthday canned

Have you heard the one about the two 12-year-old girls who saved their cricket club?

Lucy Axcell and Katie Sturgess have won the Young Hero category in The Cricketer’s Lockdown Heroes awards.

The friends helped keep their club afloat through the difficult lockdown period by undertaking a fundraising cycle ride in order to safeguard the future for Penkridge Cricket Club.

Lucy and Katie – both of whom play for Penkridge’s girls’ team and Staffordshire at county age-group level – decided to do their bit.

They opted to cycle the equivalent distance of Lord’s to Penkridge CC during the month of May – 223km each, completing the challenge with days to spare. They set up a JustGiving page, raising £1,800 in the process for the club.

“It was not only an incredible task for two 12-year-old girls, but it also turned things around for us as a club,” said Mark Axcell, Lucy’s father who is part of the club committee and came forward to nominate the pair.

“Like many clubs, our income relies on subscriptions, memberships, the bar. It was clear that it wasn’t going to come. Katie and Lucy stepping forward on their own volition was an amazing thing for two young people to do.

"It was not only an incredible task for two 12-year-old girls, but it also turned things around for us as a club"

“When we looked at the club’s finances in a committee meeting, it was clear that we were going to have to look at alternative sources of funding – potentially loans to keep the club going.

“Their inspiration to do this task got the ball rolling on other people coming forward and wanting to do things, so we then got people coming forward, saying: ‘Do you know what? I don’t play but I want to be a member of the club.’ We’ve never had so many non-playing memberships.”

He stressed that the pair’s contribution really had allowed the club to continue functioning through this unusual summer, especially once coronavirus guidelines meant that the club had to cancel a number of events to mark their 70th anniversary.

He added: “From a very bleak position, which was: ‘How are we going to keep financing the club with no income coming in?’, it started a momentum in the club which was: ‘Do you know what? We can get through this.’

“The £1,800 that they raised through their challenge was the real kickstart for that. At the point in time, it did look really grim for the club. We didn’t know how we’d get to the season and still pay for the overheads that we had. They started a real shift.”

The club president has spoken to both girls to express his own gratitude. Meanwhile, as a symbol of Penkridge’s thanks to both Katie and Lucy, their feat will be permanently marked in the clubhouse when Covid-19 restrictions allow the club to use their indoor facilities once more.

Lucy and Katie's was one of dozens of stories of kindness, compassion and creativity during lockdown submitted to The Cricketer as part of the Lockdown Heroes project. You can read about every nominee by clicking here