July 1st 2025, Wandsworth and Farnham, Surrey. Spencer Cricket Club (SCC), Wandsworth, announces the launch today of a cricket gear and clothing reuse hub at its ground for this season and going forwards. The hub is an initiative of SCC’s Spencer ONE – the club’s community outreach programme, which seeks to increase opportunities to underrepresented groups to play the game and to try to remove the financial obstacles that prevent participation.
SCC is the UK’s biggest recreational cricket club, with more than 1,550 members playing around 70 games per week. Players from Spencer have gone on to represent Surrey and England at the professional level including Gus Atkinson and Alex Tudor, the current and past England and Surrey players.
The creation of the hub follows SCC’s cricket gear reuse pilot project last year, when up to 400 donations were made by players past and present to be distributed to state schools in need and disadvantaged individuals and groups.
“As we saw with the pilot, donated cricket gear is typically of high quality, and perfect for those who want to play but find new equipment unaffordable,” says SCC Managing Director Jamie Greig. “The hub gives free entry for those who find their economic circumstances a barrier to playing.”
Jamie Greig, SCC Managing Director
Decathlon is helping…
The hub – the Circular Cricket Gear Hub (CCG Hub) – is led by Spencer ONE. Operating to mid-September this year, the hub will be managed in partnership and collaboration with The Centre for Sustainable Design (CfSD) at the University for the Creative Arts (UCA), Farnham, Surrey at UCA, Surrey Cricket Foundation and sporting goods retailer Decathlon.
The company’s Wandsworth store in Southside Shopping Centre will act as donation drop off point from July 1st to August 1st, with cricket kit then sent to the CCH Hub for re-distribution to schools and groups. In 2026 and beyond, the hub will run annually during the cricket season from April to September.
Many millions
Research and a pilot project completed by CfSD indicate that millions of cricket gear and clothing items come to their end of life each year, often ending up stored in attics, garages and the backs of clubs; some thrown away. “Much of it is of good quality and can be reused,” says CfSD Director Martin Charter.
He adds, “Last year’s pilot at SCC showed what could be achieved by developing a process for donations and redistribution of unwanted gear. The quality and number of donations exceeded our expectations and allowed gear to be donated to more local schools than originally planned.”
The hub at SCC will step into shoes of the Lord’s Taverners Cricket Kit Recycling scheme as the major player in cricket gear reuse in the UK, following Lord’s Taverners decision to close its scheme. SCC will target state schools and disadvantaged groups based in south London/North Surrey. Enquiries, which SCC will address, have come from as far afield as Germany.
“Lord’s Taverners’ excellent scheme was the sport’s biggest reuse programme that delivered real impact,” says Charter. “Its closure leaves a gap that SCC ONE has taken the initiative to fill.”
Other partners are equally positive about the project.
Harrison Hinks, Club Support Officer, Surrey Cricket Foundation, highlights “The foundation is very happy to support and be a part of this exciting initiative. The reuse of kit will help to increase participation in cricket for those who may view the cost of equipment as a barrier to the game is a thrilling prospect.”
Chris Allen, UK Communications & Impact Leader, Decathlon UK, says, “We’re incredibly excited about this circular initiative. Cricket is a sport with deep roots in local communities and a strong sense of national pride, often nurtured through schools and clubs. Access to valuable equipment is often a barrier for many who want to play.
“By giving pre-loved gear a second life, we’re not only reducing waste, but we’re directly helping more people connect with this fantastic game, ensuring it continues to thrive at all levels.”
A selection of bats donated in last year’s pilot scheme at Spencer CC.
Online tool to help with donation management
CfSD is working with SCC on an online stock management tool for the CCG Hub to smooth the end-to-end donation process and make it more time efficient and transparent for the club and its donors, and recipients such as state schools, disadvantaged groups and individuals.
“Interested parties will be able to input their information and requirements and be matched with what is available,” says Greig.
The tool builds on previous research and projects completed by CfSD and will log donations and redistributions and be able to calculate the landfill and carbon savings associated with reuse rather than replacement. In addition, CfSD will carry out research to identify the social impact of the scheme among the recipients of the cricket gear and clothing.
Links: Spencer ONE
https://www.spencercricket.com/spencer-one-1 What the Spencer CC project is built on https://cfsd.org.uk/projects/cgr/
Contacts for the project:
SCC: Managing Director Jamie Greig jamie.greig@spencercricket.org
For general questions on the project:
Martin Charter Email mcharter@uca.ac.uk
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