A Summer’s Day at the Cricket

Lucy Buck, CEO of The Good Company People, shares her reflection on a fantastic day at the cricket.

At the end of August, we were welcomed back to Rotherfield Cricket Club for a Good Company cricket day. It turned into such a lovely afternoon. By the end of it, we had raised £1,043 through the raffle and donations, which will go straight back into running our clubs and circles.

What was so special about the day was how many members turned up. Cricket has been such a big part of people’s lives, and being back at the ground brought back memories. It all felt a bit idyllic. One of our volunteers, Sue Powell, laid on proper “Queen teas” that everyone enjoyed, and there was a real buzz around the raffle. We had generous support from the King’s Arms in Rotherfield and from Tim Snook Osteopathy, alongside piles of wine and other prizes that kept the tickets flying.

The match itself was brilliantly organised by John Elms. Brent Simmonds even flew in from Japan to play, as he does every year, and my dad, Chris Buck, was there in his role as president of the club, which made it all the more personal. We were lucky to have Dave Neeves umpire the match. He usually officiates Sussex league fixtures, which made the game feel very proper 🙂. At one point, I asked who had won, only to be told it was still only halfway through the match. That probably sums up my role in the day.

The real beauty was seeing the friendships. People who only met through Good Company are now arriving together, introducing their families, and sitting side by side as if they have known each other for years. We had members who played cricket for Rotherfield in the 80s who were welcomed back into the fold. Good Company hosts came along to make the day and the experience enjoyable for everyone, and there was a sense of everyone belonging.

It was a day of generosity, laughter and proper community spirit. Without Good Company, many of those connections would never have been made. We are so grateful to Rotherfield Cricket Club, to everyone who came, and to those who gave their time, made cakes, donated prizes and gave their energy to make it what it was.

If you are a sports fan you might also want to consider Crowborough Sporting Memories Club, which meets monthly at Oasis Community Church. It is a friendly group where people come together to share stories about sport, from teams they followed to memories of playing as children. 📧 To find out more, contact emma.brooke@sussexcricket.co.uk or visit sussexcricket.co.uk/sporting-memories

If you like to play sport or join in team games, you could join us at The Wednesday Games Club. Whether it is walking rugby, table tennis or a game of boules in the garden, it is not about being good at sport. It is about feeling part of something.