WHEN Jo Baldwin took up an invitation to play rounders, not only did it rekindle memories of being school captain but it was also the start of a journey that would benefit both her and the sport.

It was four years ago that a friend spotted that Burnley Leisure, through its Just Play campaign, were holding rounders sessions to encourage women back in to sport.

To say Baldwin took the sport to her heart is an understatement as, four years on, she has played a key role in establishing Burnley Rounders Club, currently sits on the board of England Rounders and became the face of the This Girl Can campaign and a subsequent Marks and Spencer advertising spin-off.

The 45-year-old has also been acknowledged for her contribution to women’s sport at the Burnley Sports Awards and has now been nominated for the county prize.

“I absolutely love rounders, it is a brilliant sport,” said Baldwin. “I played in school and I was captain when I was at Fisher More but taking up the sport again was superb.

“It’s an all-inclusive activity, it’s not ageist, size-ist, ability biased or exclusive in any way. Literally anyone can get involved and play.

“That’s why it not only appeals to me but to everyone who plays it.”

The rounders explosion in Burnley over the last couple of years is certainly testimony to that.

Baldwin was one of 18 who turned up at a school playing field in the town to take part in that first session but by the time the six weeks were up, those numbers had swelled to more than 50.

Today, Burnley Rounders Club has 680 registered players, 30 active umpires and a host of teams that play all year round.

The club, one of the fastest growing in the country, has hosted England representative teams for the past two years and in Nicola Hedge, it also has a qualified international umpire.

Baldwin says much of the success story is down to the dedication of Janet Roundell, sport and play development officer at Burnley Leisure - but she is happy to have played her part.

“When the six week taster session had finished I knew we were on to something special and I knew Janet would need some help,” added Baldwin who had experience of running netball leagues in the area.

“Janet has been absolutely fantastic and what she has done for the sport is brilliant.

“I knew then we were on to something good and I mentioned to Janet that if she wanted to set something up then she would need some help and I would be more than happy.

“I was treasurer of the Pendle Netball League and I knew just how time consuming and difficult it can be to help run a league.”

Rounders is played all year round in the borough - both indoors and outdoors - as players turn up in their hundreds. But it is not just about quantity but quality too and Baldwin believes there is a potential international player among their ranks.

“For the last few years we have played a number of games against England teams and I seriously believe there are some players in our league who are good enough to make that step up,” she said.

The This Girl Can campaign is still something of a shock for Baldwin and so was seeing her face on billboards, bus shelters and on the side of buildings.

“My name was put forward but I didn’t really think too much about it but to be selected as the face of the This Girl Can campaign was incredible,” said Baldwin, nicknamed Boulders by her friends and teammates.

“My face was everywhere, on bus shelters, bill boards and on the London Underground - I was taking selfies left, right and centre to start with!

“They even put one up in my home town of Barrowford which was a nice touch.

“I think I was selected because I was in my 40s and very much still active when it came to playing sports.

“I was asked about how important sport was and I said something along the lines of ‘I’ve left school but I have never left sport’ and the slogan stuck.”

Baldwin plays for Scruples in the Burnley Rounders League and her teammates took great joy in trying to spot her on posters across the country.

“My photo was popping up every where and the girls, for a laugh, started a Where’s Boulder hashtag and they were taking photos of me on billboards,” she said. “The furthest away was at Southampton Football Club.”

If her Scruples teammates were feeling a little left out by all the attention, then there was no need as Marks and Spencer launched a This Girl Can range of sportswear and Baldwin and the team were picked to model it.

“Again that was very flattering but all the girls loved it,” she said. “We went down to M and S flagship store at Marble Arch where we all saw our mugs again!”

Baldwin, a development director for Bauer Media who manage magazines, radio and TV stations around the world, was also invited to join Rounders England board.

And her enthusiasm for the sport and expertise in her field made her a welcome addition.

“I love it,” she said. “Because of my job, I could bring fresh ideas to the role and find ways of attracting new funding and keeping the profile as high as possible.

“It has been hard work, I have a bit of a hectic work life and I have children who are 22 and two-years-old so juggling work life, home life and my role with rounders has been hard but I have loved it.”

Baldwin’s two year spell on the England Rounders board comes to an end in January but there is no way she is going to put her feet up.

She has already accepted a place on the Burnley Leisure board where again she is using her work-base experience to good use.

Despite her dedication to the sport, Baldwin admitted winning the Burnley Sport award was a complete surprise.

“To be honest, I was extremely honoured to firstly, be nominated and secondly, to go on to win the award was pretty over whelming,” said Baldwin who was presented with the award by Olympic gold medal winner Sally Gunnell.

Baldwin and the sport of rounders in the area show no sign of slowing down yet and there are plans to expand in to Colne, Barrowford and other areas.

But she does hope the continued growth does not come at the expense of the ‘something special’ that has been created.

“We have a rounders community and we are like a family,” she said. “When we meet up to play. we have a catch up and good chat with other players.

“We have created something special. That doesn’t happen all time now because we play at two venues so we have to make sure we don’t become a victim of our success - but I’m sure that won’t be the case.”

And if anyone is to make sure that does not happen, then This Girl Can!