07/06/2026
Volunteer’s Week Spotlight: Louise Peacock ⭐
Volunteers like Louise are helping ensure women and girls can enjoy a game that wasn’t always available to previous generations.
Louise’s cricket journey proves you don’t need a lifelong connection to the game to make an impact.
A mum working in recruitment, Louise first became involved in cricket when her son joined Bates Cottages All Stars aged five. Seven years later, she has become a driving force behind the club’s junior and women’s programmes.
After becoming an All Stars and Dynamos Activator, delivering sessions for children aged 5-11, Louise spotted an opportunity to create something new.
Having never played formal cricket herself, she attended a social “Prosecco and Cricket” evening at the club. What started as a fun introduction quickly grew into something more.
Louise went on to establish the club’s first women’s softball team and, last year, helped launch its first women’s hardball side.
Today, she is an umpire, administrator, team organiser and coach. She leads the club’s girls-only Dynamos programme, captains the women’s softball team and plays women’s hardball cricket.
This year, Bates Cottages reached a significant milestone, with more girls taking part in Dynamos than boys — a reflection of the continued growth of women’s cricket.
For Louise, creating opportunities for girls has always been personal.
“It sounds cliché, but when I was growing up, I didn’t have the opportunity to play cricket. The options were things like dance and gymnastics, and cricket simply wasn’t available to me. I want girls today to have that chance.”
Louise says the most rewarding part of volunteering is seeing young people grow and thrive together.
“You get so much satisfaction from seeing what’s being built and watching the girls achieve together.
Many of them didn’t know each other when they first joined, but they’ve come together, formed a strong team and built real friendships through cricket. Seeing that happen is incredibly rewarding.”
