ACE Programme

ACE Programme is an independent charity that was established in 2020 by Ebony Rainford-Brent and designed to engage young people of African and Caribbean heritage to play cricket, in response to the decline of Black British professional and recreational players.

Following significant funding from Sport England, this enabled the charity to create cricketing opportunities for young people, with the first launch of its kind in January 2020.

Birmingham’s Black community was the next area outside of London to benefit from the programme, launched by Warwickshire County Cricket Club and Warwickshire Cricket Foundation in June 2021.

ACE’s strategic aim is Supporting Diverse Talent from the Grassroots to the Elite, focusing on three main aims:

Building grassroots programmes, talent pathways and better talent ID within Black communities
Providing elite academy programmes and scholarships to talented players, allowing them to fulfil their potential.
The development of a diverse coaching and volunteer scheme through targeted training and mentoring programmes.

In partnership with Warwickshire Cricket Foundation, the ACE Programme is thriving. Core activity sees Foundation team members funded by ACE delivering cricket sessions in schools and championing inclusion at three hubs:

Birmingham Community Hub at Handsworth Cricket Club
Junior Pathway Hub, Handsworth Grammar School for Girls; and
Academy Hub at Edgbaston Indoor School.

For more information about the ACE in the West Midlands, contact chelseaalagoa@edgbaston.com.