As a Club, we host the most fabulous and varied fixture list, which includes a Sussex C.C.C. festival, E.C.B. development matches, M.C.C., Oxford & Cambridge Universities and visits from many established overseas teams. We also host Women’s matches including England and Sussex fixtures. As well as having one of the most beautiful grounds in the world, we are fortunate to have an excellent Indoor Cricket School, which hosts a variety of courses and educational projects. We also offer opportunities to attend Lunches and Cricketing talks throughout the year. We work in partnership with the Arundel Castle Cricket Foundation, a charity which, under the leadership of former Sussex Captain and Past President of M.C.C., John Barclay, continues to grow and achieve the most wonderful outcomes, benefiting thousands of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and children with special needs. It is the most brilliant scene. The Arundel Castle Cricket Foundation was formed and registered as a charity in 1986 (Reg. Charity No 1150351) and works alongside The Friends of Arundel Castle Cricket Club. Its purpose is to enhance the development and education of young people (mainly aged between 7-19 years) with a special emphasis upon the disadvantaged and those deprived of opportunity. Over the years we have focused strongly on inner city regions nationwide and particularly London’s boroughs where the need has been greatest. We have used cricket and its associated activities as the medium for achieving our objectives. The Arundel Castle Cricket Ground in West Sussex has provided the heart for our project and it is to this world famous ground that the youngsters have come. Here we have outstanding outdoor facilities, an indoor school and a well-appointed pavilion from which we can provide catering for the purpose. In addition to an experience offering cricket, we also conduct regular tours around Arundel Castle and its gardens, a facility that is well used to children with special needs and wheelchairs. Trips to the seaside at Littlehampton are all part of the routine and games of cricket on the beach a frequent occurrence. Crabs and seashells are much sought after and occasionally the local fishermen land a fish. The children love that. For many years we have operated a now well-established Special Needs Programme. This includes about 40 visits a year from schools serving the needs of children suffering from a range of disabilities – physical and emotional – plus severe to moderate learning difficulties. More than 600 of these handicapped and frequently difficult children visit us each year.
