Warwickshire Cricket Foundation has delivered an inspiring work experience programme at Edgbaston Stadium, offering eight female college students studying media and production a unique opportunity within a live sporting environment. The highlight was the chance to interview Warwickshire Bears batter Davina Perrin.
Programme Timed with Women's Cricket World Cup
The programme was timed to coincide with the opening fixtures of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup at Edgbaston. It was designed to empower young women by building confidence, communication skills and real-world industry experience through cricket.
Students stepped into professional roles, practiced announcing techniques and explored how digital media is created and managed around major sporting events. The experience was further enhanced when the students interviewed Perrin, applying their newly developed skills in a real-life setting to build confidence in interviewing, communication and content creation.
Tackling Youth Unemployment
With youth unemployment at an all-time high across the West Midlands, the Foundation – strongly supported by Warwickshire County Cricket Club – is delivering targeted programmes to address this pressing generational challenge. Reports launched this week outlined that one million young people are out of work across the whole county.
By creating meaningful opportunities and pathways into sport and related industries, the Foundation is playing an active role in empowering young people, enhancing their prospects and contributing to stronger, more resilient communities.
Workshops Led by Industry Professionals
The sessions were led by sports stadium announcer and journalist Lara Davies, who facilitated engaging and interactive workshops focusing on stadium announcing, developing social media campaigns and broadcasting activities. Encouraging young people to consider careers in sport while building confidence, skills and employability through work experience and volunteering is a key priority for the Foundation.
Esther Lau-Mackaay, Community Engagement Project Officer, said: “This programme has been a fantastic opportunity to connect these young women with the professional world of sport, while highlighting the growing impact of women’s cricket. Experiences like this are invaluable in building confidence and gaining hands-on experience in the sports industry.”
Lara Davies added: “This work experience programme has been incredibly rewarding. It’s so great to see so many young women getting into the industry and getting stuck in. What’s great is that there are so many activities to do – it’s not just about sitting back and learning in a classroom. We have been learning how to stadium announce, ask questions in a mock press conference and getting the ladies up and doing it and hopefully inspiring them.”
The programme was funded by the England and Wales Cricket Board as part of their Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Fund for 2026.
