VOLUNTEERS

Matt Ricks - East Dean & Friston CC

Matt Ricks joined our club as a volunteer just months ago, and in that short time has transformed the future of junior cricket in our village. Spotting an opportunity within our existing All Stars and Dynamos programme, Matt took it upon himself to create a brand-new Under 9's team from scratch.

His commitment has been extraordinary. Matt enrolled himself onto an ECB coaching course at his own initiative, and when offered financial support from the club, he refused it — determined to fund his own development. He designed and produced his own marketing materials to promote the new team, helping build enthusiasm and awareness across the community.

Every Friday evening, Matt runs a training session that has become the highlight of the week for local families: an hour of coaching followed by a BBQ, with every parent and child made to feel genuinely welcome. He even secured a sponsor to provide free branded shirts for the whole squad. The feedback from families has been outstanding, and Matt is already planning the next step — developing this group into an Under 10's team for 2027.

What makes this even more remarkable is Matt's day job as an orthopaedic surgeon at Eastbourne DGH. On more than one occasion he's arrived at training straight from surgery — once mentioning, almost in passing, that he'd been stitching up a patient's shoulder just half an hour earlier.

Matt's enthusiasm, selflessness, and fresh energy have made an immediate and lasting impact on our club.

Fabian Gilchrist - Bexhill CC

Fabian joined Bexhill around 7 years ago when he signed up for All Stars Cricket through his primary school. He has always been enthusiastic and has easily fitted into the club’s volunteer led club culture. 

As he got older, Fabian started off by scoring senior matches learning how to do this online, a role he performed wonderfully for two summers only giving up so that he could play Saturday cricket himself. In 2025 he and his friend George ran the kitchen on Sunday mornings to help raise money for the club to purchase FrogBox which it is now very close to completing and in 2026 he was the assistant All Stars Activator being present every Sunday to help run sessions for the 20 something children who attend.

He has the cricket bug! He did a weeks work experience with the SCF in 2026 and is an ever present at club work parties and socials always willing to help no matter what the task.

Dylan Griffiths - Shoreham by Sea CC

Every sports club has that one irreplaceable figure who transforms the entire community, and for us, that person is Dylan. He is an absolute hero at the club, having single-handedly built our thriving junior section up from scratch over the last five years. Thanks to his visionary leadership and tireless dedication, the junior section is now over 120 strong. Through his efforts, Dylan has enabled countless children to experience, enjoy, and become great at cricket, instilling a lifelong love for the game in the next generation of players.

Of course, no hero works entirely alone. Dylan and his supportive wife, Ro, truly run the show as a team, pouring their hearts into the club's operations. Because of their hard work, Buckingham Park is alive with vibrant cricket and a deep sense of community every single Friday night throughout the season. It has become the weekly highlight for families, filled with laughter, energy, and great sport. Dylan’s immense passion and unwavering commitment have not only elevated our youth program but have genuinely made our club an amazing, welcoming place to be for everyone involved.