Celebrating 40 years of the Arundel Castle Cricket Foundation
This year we are celebrating 40 years of enriching young lives through cricket, outdoor adventures and the magic of Arundel. For four decades, the Arundel Castle Cricket Foundation has inspired and empowered thousands of young people through magical, life enhancing experiences that develop skills, confidence, resilience and a sense of adventure.
We are incredibly proud and excited to be celebrating this milestone year, which will include a range of special events alongside the launch of a bold new strategy focused on tackling inequality of opportunity for young people.
Discover the story behind 40 years of Arundel Castle Cricket Foundation
In celebration of our 40th Anniversary, Johnny Barclay has written a very special memoir 40 Years of ACCF – The Story So Far. Filled with stories, memories and defining moments from the past four decades, and featuring a foreword by Mike Atherton OBE, it offers a wonderful trip down memory lane.
The memoir is available to download and free to access. If you enjoy reading it, we warmly invite you to consider making a donation. Every gift, large or small, makes a real difference and helps us continue bringing magical experiences to young people.
A little of our story since 1986
1986 – It all began in 1986 when our founding trustees, Sir Roger Gibbs, Colin Cowdrey, Richard Burton, John Poland, Cameron Greaves, Hubert Doggart and John Knight established the charitable foundation in response to a growing decline in sports, cricket and extra-curricular activities in state schools.
Johnny Barclay was appointed as Director of Cricket.
1991 – The newly built Indoor cricket school was opened by HRH Prince of Wales.
The Schools programme is reaching 75 schools on a regular basis.
1992 – London programmes established with the introduction of residential trips.
2000 – The SEND programme was established with new initiatives launched focused on inclusive programmes for young people with special education needs and disabilities.
2005 – By September 2005 the Foundation had supported 20,000 young people to date.
2019 – Retirement of Johnny Barclay (appointed as Vice President). Tim Shutt appointed as Director.
2020 – During the Covid-19 Pandemic the Foundation found creative ways to continue supporting young people in need through safe and innovative programmes and activities – also increasing levels of support to local communities.
2026 – As we celebrate our 40 year anniversary over 50,000 young people have benefitted from taking part in ACCF programmes.
2026 – With the launch of a new strategy we remain committed to creating opportunities for even more young people.
Celebrating our 40th anniversary with the ACCF Alumni
We’ve asked a few friends in our Alumni to share what being part of the ACCF programme has meant to them.
Our Trustee and MCC Board Member, Arfan Akram, was the first of our alumni to share his inspiring ACCF story when he met up with our Director, Tim Shutt. During their conversation, Arfan spoke about his first visit to ACCF as a 10 year old boy on a residential trip from Walthamstow, reflecting on how that early experience shaped his personal and professional journey – including his ongoing work in cricket today.
Watch the interview and hear Arfan’s story
We’ll be sharing more reflections and messages from past participants, including some familiar faces, in the months ahead.
Were you once part of an ACCF Programme?
We’d love to hear about your visit, its impact, and your experience of playing cricket at Arundel Castle. Get in touch at foundation@arundelcastlecricket.co.uk or complete our short form and we will be in touch.
Join the celebration
We can’t wait to celebrate this milestone anniversary with our community. We’re planning a full calendar of special events throughout the year, including:
40th Anniversary Gala Dinner
13th March 2026
Join us for a very special evening as we celebrate our 40th Anniversary with a Gala Dinner held in the magnificent surroundings of the Barons’ Hall at Arundel Castle.
ACCF Cycle Ride
1st July 2026
We are delighted to announce a special ACCF Charity Cycle Ride. Join us for a great day of cycling, fun, food, sunshine and fundraising in the beautiful West Sussex countryside.
More details coming soon
Charity Golf Day at West Sussex Golf Club, 12th October 2026
We will be hosting a very special 40th Anniversary Golf Day at West Sussex Golf Club. Join us for a wonderful day of golf whilst supporting the work of the Foundation.
More details coming soon
An Evening with Mike Atherton
2026 date TBC
We will be hosting An Evening with Michael Atherton OBE, a Patron of ACCF, at a London venue in the Autumn of 2026.
More details coming soon
Stay tuned to our website and socials for the full 2026 line-up and how you can join the celebrations.
Meet the people behind our work
Meet the team of trustees and staff currently involved in the charity’s work as well as our Patron, His Grace, The Duke of Norfolk, and our Vice President, Johnny Barclay.
Follow our 40th Anniversary Celebrations on Instagram
We’ve got an exciting year ahead, and we’ll be sharing key moments of our 40th anniversary celebrations on Instagram – so you can get involved and join in wherever you are. From stories and reflections to event highlights and special messages from familiar faces, there’ll be plenty to enjoy.
Follow us on Instagram here, and don’t forget you can also stay connected through Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.
Marking 40 years with an ambitious new 3 year strategy
As we look ahead, we’re launching a bold new strategy focused on creating inclusive and accessible opportunities for even more young people – especially those who will benefit most from our unique programmes.
We have set out a series of ambitious objectives, actions and targets that we intend to achieve over the next three years 2026-28, with the following four priority areas of growth over this period:
Increase the number of young people per year from 1500 to 2000
Develop a Winter programme, ensuring the Charity has an all-year-round provision
Develop our facilities and skills to enable us to work with young people with the most complex of needs
Deliver a programme for young people with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions and their families
