Ryan’s key role in creating a level playing field for all

In the latest edition of Marketing Derby’s Innovate Magazine we catch up with Ryan Duckett who is helping to drive forward positive change in one of Derby’s most disadvantaged neighbourhoods.

Earlier this year, Ryan, whose day job is chief executive of Derbyshire County Cricket Club, was appointed as the independent chair of the Pride in Place, Chaddesden West Board.

The board has been set up to drive forward £20 million of community-led improvements as part of the Government’s Pride in Place Strategy.

Th cricket club has a strong connection with the Chaddesden West Area – and Ryan’s role involves him guiding this 10-year initiative.

His board is made up of local residents, community organisations, businesses, public sector partners, and Catherine Atkinson MP.

Its job is to set out local priorities, oversee delivery and develop a shared vision for Chaddesden West based on what matters most to the community.

It will bring significant investment into the area, aiming to improve everyday life for residents by investing in local priorities such as community facilities, public spaces, opportunities for young people and initiatives that strengthen pride and connection.

Ryan tells Innovate: “The cricket club has been here for 155 years and has always been very keen to play its role within the community.

“This opportunity is really about – alongside other key stakeholders – supporting that community to shape the future.”

Chaddesden West was chosen for inclusion in the national Pride in Place programme after government officials analysed a range of indicators including deprivation, health, inequality, educational outcomes and employment.

Ryan told Innovate: “Derby is a fantastic city. But you’ve got some really affluent areas, and you’ve also got some really challenging areas as well.

“And when you look at the statistics a lot of the measures show that Chaddesden West is one of those with significant challenges.”

But before any money is spent, the immediate task for Ryan and his board is to engage the local community – to find out what they want for their area and put together a long-term plan of action.

He said: “It’s absolutely about local people being involved, feeling empowered and identifying needs rather somebody sitting in an office in Derby – or Whitehall – deciding how people’s lives should change.

“The people who live here understand the day-to-day problems and are well placed to contribute ideas on how we should address them.

“It’s about making engagement accessible. We want to hear as many voices as we possibly can.”

To read the feature in full, click here.