A Career in Cricket: Growing the Game with Lauren Tuffrey

In the latest edition of A Career in Cricket, in partnership with Her Game Too, Club media spoke to Derbyshire Cricket Foundation Women & Girls Development officer, and former Derbyshire Women captain, Lauren Tuffrey.

A product of Derbyshire’s Women & Girls player pathway and former Derbyshire Women captain, Lauren now works tirelessly to create opportunities for more people across the county to access our game.

Lauren was first introduced to the sport through a Chance to Shine programme at her former primary school, which was attended by former England Women all-rounder Katherine Scriver-Brunt.

The two-time ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup winner desperately encouraged her to pursue the sport further and, years later, she was captaining Derbyshire Women as a successful graduate of our Women & Girls pathway.

To find out more about volunteering opportunities with the Derbyshire Cricket Foundation, click here.

With a deep-rooted love of the game and a keen interest in coaching, Lauren was initially offered work opportunities across a variety of different areas within the foundation whilst at university.

Following the end of her studies, she was offered a role as Media and Administrations Officer, taking a hands-on role with the foundation’s public-facing operations.

Her role has since developed over the course of six years with the DCF, officially being offered the role of Women & Girls Development Officer in January, a role that she shares with fellow Women & Girls Development Officer Emma Thatcher, where she has become a well-recognised figure across club cricket in Derbyshire.

Lauren now works to foster more opportunities for women and girls to engage in cricket and has played a pivotal role in inspiring the next generation of players, as the women’s game grows from strength to strength across the country.

Speaking on the growth of women’s cricket and the successes of her efforts, she said, “it’s amazing, when I think back to when I was growing up, we always had to play with the boys because that was our only option.

“Now, you’ve got kids growing up who have the option to play with the girls and stay with their peers, as well as mixed teams.

“They don’t have to go into hard-ball straight away either – in Derbyshire, soft-ball cricket is massive, which is helping clubs and the recreational game thrive.

“Work-wise, there’s so many opportunities now that you can grow up thinking ‘I want to work in cricket’ and that’s amazing for everybody.”

To find out more about volunteering opportunities with the Derbyshire Cricket Foundation, click here.