Geoffrey Hastings, who left Kimbolton School in 1962, has recently been awarded the British Empire Medal in recognition of more than 45 years of dedicated fundraising for charity and junior cricket.

Geoff is Chairman of the R66T Trueman State Schools Cricket League — a national competition that has transformed access to hard-ball cricket for thousands of state school pupils across England. The League continues to use Kimbolton’s pitches for its annual finals festival, most recently this summer, thanks to the generosity of the School’s Governors.

Removing barriers to the game

Founded in 2006, the League was inspired by the late England fast bowler Fred Trueman and was established to address the decline of competitive cricket in state schools.

Its guiding principle is simple but powerful: no child pays to play.

Through the support of the Cricket Society Trust, the League funds:

• Transport
• Pitch hire
• Umpires and match fees
• Full cricket kit for participating schools

In 2025 alone, more than 2,200 pupils representing 183 school teams competed across regional leagues spanning Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Middlesex and Yorkshire, with 20 teams reaching the national festival finals.

For many pupils, this is their first experience of hard-ball cricket — and for some, the beginning of a lifelong involvement in the game.

Kimbolton School’s role

While the League operates nationally, Kimbolton School has played an important part in its recent history. Since 2022, the School has hosted the annual finals festival, welcoming hundreds of state school pupils to compete in a memorable setting and experience cricket at a high standard of organisation and sportsmanship.

Geoff has frequently acknowledged the support of the School’s Governors and staff in enabling the finals to take place at Kimbolton. Geoff said of the support:

“It’s really the ability to use Kimbolton’s facilities that has allowed the charity to grow so quickly. We began using Kimbolton’s pitches in 2022, and the support we’ve received has made a tremendous difference.”

As the League marks its 20th anniversary in 2026, a commemorative fundraising dinner is planned to celebrate two decades of impact and to support its continued growth.

Geoff’s commitment to widening access to cricket reflects a spirit of service and initiative that resonates strongly within the Kimbolton community.

We congratulate him warmly on his British Empire Medal and on 20 years of impact in bringing cricket back into the heart of state schools.