Sussex Cricket Win Community Hero Award at BAHBA
Last week, at the 2026 Brighton & Hove Business Awards at The Grand Brighton Hotel, Sussex Cricket were announced as the winners of the Community Hero Award.
Shortlisted alongside a number of strong candidates making a real difference to the lives of others: Brighton Swimming Centre, DoubleTree by Hilton Brighton Metropole, Love Local Jobs Foundation, Search Seven and The Russell Martin Foundation. The success reflects the impact of the Foundation’s work across Brighton and Hove and Sussex.
The award recognises the huge body of work that the Foundation does each year. Foundation initiatives have benefited both the community and our employees. Locally, they have widened access to cricket, reduced barriers to participation and used The County Ground as a welcoming space for people who may not otherwise engage with sport. In 2025, the Sussex Cricket Foundation delivered more than 4,370 sessions and created over 6,710 engagement hours, supporting children, disabled participants, older adults, LGBTQ+ groups, women and girls, families and people experiencing isolation or disadvantage.
Gary Wallis-Tayler, Head of Foundation, said:
"We are honoured to receive the Community Hero Award and to be recognised by the Brighton & Hove Business Awards. This recognition reflects the outstanding efforts of my team, whose passion and dedication help deliver high-quality programmes and initiatives that make cricket accessible to everyone in our local communities, not only in Brighton & Hove but across the county of Sussex.
The award also highlights the importance of ensuring The County Ground is accessible to all. By welcoming people from across our communities, we can inspire the next generation of players, create new supporters of the game and raise awareness of the integral role Sussex Cricket plays in the city.
The work has also strengthened community pride by showing that Sussex Cricket is more than a professional sports club. With more than 90,000 people attending The County Ground in 2025, the venue has become a year-round hub for Hove and the wider county, supporting confidence, wellbeing, social connection and aspiration through programmes such as Walking Cricket, Sporting Memories, SEND schools cricket, DIScoverABILITY days, Street Cricket and major school engagement events.
For employees, the projects create purpose and pride. Staff see the direct benefit of their work through delivery, events, partnerships and making the ground accessible to new audiences. This shared mission connects commercial, operational, cricket and Foundation teams, supports a positive culture and is reflected in low staff turnover and the number of long-serving employees with more than 10 years’ service. The initiatives also help colleagues develop skills in partnership working, inclusive delivery, safeguarding, event support and community engagement, while reinforcing teamwork and social responsibility.
To find out more about the work of the Sussex Cricket Foundation please visit their website here or get in touch: foundation@sussexcricketfoundation.org.
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