PCA Futures Awards 2024 finalists revealed

The PCA’s Futures Awards, in association with Lodders Solicitors, is returning for the 12^th edition with six PCA members aiming to win accolades to support their personal development away from the pitch.

The finalists were whittled down from a shortlist of 14 and comprise a varied cross-section of the PCA membership. The top six sees current men’s and women’s players represented, three former players and an age range spanning 52 years between the youngest and oldest competitors.

The awards are split into three categories with Ben Martindale (Nottinghamshire) and Nancy Harman (Hampshire) named as finalists in the Academic Progression category. Callum Jackson (Former Sussex & Kent) and Marie Kelly (The Blaze) for the Business Impact award and completing the finalists are Moin Ashraf (Former Yorkshire & Northamptonshire) and James Graham-Brown (Former Kent & Derbyshire) in the Community Spirit category.

Lodders Solicitors is supporting the Awards for the fourth consecutive year and this year the new format event will be held at the award-winning law firm’s newest office in Birmingham on Tuesday 10 December.

The latest edition will bring a new and improved format to make the event even bigger and better than previous iterations.

Finalists will attend the whole day, starting with a presentation from each of them to the room, including fellow candidates and the combined judging panel comprising of PCA and Lodders directors, sharing their personal development achievements over the past 12 months.

The second half of the day will involve individual breakout sessions, including a Q&A with the judging panel, a roundtable with Lodders staff and a chance to explore their office and meet more members of the team.

Lodders will present the Overall Winner with a trophy at the end of the day along with a cash prize of £3,000.

This year’s finalists will be looking to emulate the success of Yash Vagadia who picked up the overall award in 2023. The Yorkshire batter impressed the panel for his work mentoring other students, alongside pursuing a degree in Biology and Chemistry whilst applying for law internships.

Below is a brief summary of how each of this year’s Futures Awards finalists have been improving their personal development:

Academic Progression:

Ben Martindale (Nottinghamshire)

Having taken a year out of study, the 21-year-old experienced his first taste of coaching at Wesley College in Australia, inspiring him to achieve his core coaching skills. The Nottinghamshire batter wants to set up a coaching and fitness blog alongside studying with the Open University, pursuing a degree in Psychology after his father was diagnosed with dementia in 2022. Martindale wants to learn more about the human brain and explore mental health and has committed to four years of part-time study.

Nancy Harman (Hampshire)

The 25-year-old batter has recently completed phase 1A of the Royal Navy Reserves Officer training programme. The Hampshire player was rated ‘Best in Class’ over the 16-day period of training, which included a seven-day weapons course, culminating in ‘Passing Out’ of Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth, the Royal Navy’s world-renowned officer training establishment. Harman is now commissioned at the rank of Midshipman and is also taking the Learn, Lead, Grow course through FEED Consultancy and the PCA to develop her leadership capabilities.

Business Impact:

Callum Jackson (Former Sussex & Kent)

Setting up New Era Training (NET) in October last year, Jackson’s indoor cricket and fitness facility in Battersea, London has welcomed over 1,100 clients including Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Alice Capsey, Zak Crawley and even former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The 30-year-old’s mission is to create an environment where individuals can refine their cricketing prowess and improve their fitness in a state of the art, one of a kind facility. The former wicketkeeper is looking to expand the business with a second facility.

Marie Kelly (The Blaze)

The Blaze batter has set up her own business called ‘Versatail’ – an innovative and stylish superior sports cap brand that provides women of all hair types the versatility and freedom to wear their hair in any style and position, servicing high performing female athletes as well as active and style-conscious women. The 28-year-old completed extensive research into the market and has been establishing relationships with more than 300 global sports cap suppliers and collaborating with manufacturers to produce and refine product samples.

Community Spirit:

James Graham-Brown (Former Kent & Derbyshire)

At the age of 73, James Graham-Brown has been using his skills as a playwright and theatre producer to raise awareness of important social issues. The 1974 Gillette Cup winner has recently worked in partnership with Show Racism the Red Card to produce a new musical on the life of Walter Tull, the first man of his heritage to play football at the highest level in England and the first Black British military officer. The retired teacher received the National Campaign for the Arts Award.

Moin Ashraf (Former Yorkshire & Northamptonshire)

The former quick bowler developed a scholarship scheme within his coaching business The Moin Ashraf Cricket Coaching (MACC) Academy. The 32-year-old provided underprivileged cricketers the opportunity to gain free coaching on a 10-week programme with 31 scholarships delivered with the aim of increasing to over 100 next year. The business has nine academies in the north of England with over 600 players coached over the last 12 months. Ashraf wants to expand the business to help more young cricketers from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

The PCA Futures Awards in association with Lodders Solicitors celebrates personal development from the PCA membership past and present. The winners from each category and an Overall Winner will be announced on Tuesday 10 December.

Find out more about the PCA Futures Awards in association with Lodders Solicitors, as well as the PCA’s wider Personal Development and Welfare Programme (PDWP).