Why Sponsorship Feels Harder Than It Should
Ask a group of women running a cricket team whether they could find a sponsor and the answer is often no, or worse, who would want to sponsor us? Katie hears this constantly. But sponsorship isn’t charity. It’s a partnership. Local businesses want to be part of something good happening on their doorstep, and if your team can offer something back – a discount, a shoutout, a stall on a match day – you’re already halfway to a deal.
The tip is simple. Just ask. Build a small sponsorship package with a clear benefit for the business, then approach the people already connected to your club before you go further afield.
Make Sponsors Feel Like Part Of The Team
Landing a sponsor is only half the job. Katie’s advice is to bring them into the fold properly. Social media shoutouts, match updates, a quick story about how their support helped a player get to training … sponsors remember that kind of thing. Invite them to a match or a festival. When a sponsor feels like their name matters to your team, they stay.
Every Player Takes A Stake
Individual player sponsorship spreads the load. Ask each player to raise around £50 and you create a shared pot with everyone pulling in the same direction. Each sponsor gets a mention whenever their player has a good game. Small ask, strong return.
Grants Clubs Overlook
Between the ECB, your County Board and Sport England, there’s more funding available for women’s and girls’ cricket right now than most clubs realise. The ECB’s County Grants Fund has doubled to £5 million for 2026, specifically targeted at women’s and girls’ cricket, with grants between £1,000 and £15,000 depending on the project. Full details and how to apply sit on the ECB’s club funding page.
Sport England’s Movement Fund is worth a look too. It offers crowdfunding pledges of up to £15,000, meaning if your club sets a target and raises funds through Crowdfunder, Sport England matches what you bring in. Clubs with an active girls’ section tend to do particularly well here.
Add in supermarket community funds, lottery grants and council pots, and there’s rarely a good excuse not to apply.
A Shortcut For Time Poor Clubs
If sponsorship management feels like one task too many on top of running a team, platforms like SNAP exist to take the admin off your hands, helping clubs find, manage and keep sponsors without chasing emails that go nowhere.
None of this requires a marketing degree or hours that you don’t have. It requires asking, and knowing where to look. Watch Katie’s full video for more, and get in touch with your local cricket board to see what’s already on the table for your team.
