Cricket East Peterborough & Huntingdon-Diverse Communities Projects: 2022 Activities-‘Raising The Game’ Case Study
Introduction:
Cricket East Diverse Communities projects embarked on a delivery timetable across the City of Peterborough and a deprived neighbourhood in the town of Huntingdon during 2022, its purpose was to strive to galvanise the focused project activity to date. Whilst delivery resources are currently very limited, from learning to date, there was a focus in these areas where some longer-term impact/relationships could start to be made. Areas where activity has been delivered primarily focuses in some of the highest national deprivation indices areas (1-3) with also a high prevalence of free school meals.
There was delivery of community cricket sessions in partnership with the organisations listed later in this document, a number of which were receiving more widely, either locally based or Government Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) support. Programmes delivered included, ECB Dynamos ‘Intros’ that has a focus on areas of high deprivation. In Gladstone Pboro, this involved a joint venture with the local Wicketz project to offer another wider participant programme perspective.
Also of note, working in partnership with Pboro Utd FC Community Manager and the Barnardos charity, 54 youngsters attending the Barnardos/Gunthorpe HAF had a complimentary tour of the clubs London Road ground, many had never visited a sports venue before. In a further great gesture by the club, they offered all these youngsters a free ticket for themselves and an adult to attend a recent women’s game.
Pboro:
Eye Primary School HAF
Paston Farm Foundation Holiday Programme
Gunthorpe Barnardos ‘Play-House’ HAF
Gladstone Wicketz/Dynamos ‘Intros’
Different sessions over 2022 delivered to 284 young people aged 6-13 years of age.
Huntingdon:
Huntingdon & District CC Sessions
Coneygear Centre HAF-Dynamos ‘Intros’
Sawtry Infants School HAF
Different sessions over 2022 delivered to 122 young people aged 6-13 years of age.
Specific feedback is included below, however there is further sensitive evidence in the hands of the author of this report from discussions directly with parents/guardians/trusted partner agencies. This is best summarised under the following points as difficulties associated/linked with the pandemic and the current cost of living crisis.
In addition, there is a need to have an awareness with supporting additional physical/mental health needs of a growing number of participants:
1.Families have found it difficult to travel too far beyond their immediate local neighbourhoods and therefore access to things like cricket clubs are sometimes both beyond their geographic and indeed financial means as well as their comfort zones. However, it always remains the desire of the project to connect neighbourhoods to club environments as part of its evolving community Hub project.
2.The HAF schemes provided families with free food at one of their most vulnerable times complimented by other sport and leisure activities (see more below). However, they were also refuge for so much more localised support and it was great to be one of the number of partners working together in the Huntingdon neighbourhood to enable youngsters, often in large families to receive essential return to school items. I will particularly long remember the change in the distraught single mother of three’s face when she was advised her youngsters were to be all provided with their essential new school shoes free of charge.
3.Sessions often provided a focus for young people over the holiday period in terms of keeping them engaged in outdoor basic physical activity providing/supporting also a mental health focus. It became clear that often many struggle/feel under pressure in classroom environments and that a more relaxed/open spaced approach can enable those, sometimes with a number of challenges, to use game environments to help/express themselves. For example, keeping their own batting scores and working with others they perhaps have never met before and then have to make decisions in terms of e.g developing running between the wicket batting partnerships. This is all seen as a practical opportunity to build confidence, self-esteem in a smaller numbered environment and can perhaps hopefully seek to compliment a more formal educational setting.
As a result of these points, there was a real focus on winning the trust/confidence of local communities using the very much welcomed approach of ‘taking the game’ to their local communities. This all falls into the well-worn statement in relation to there being no quick fixes: ‘This work is about relationship building and is a marathon not a sprint.’
Current funders:
Cambs Police and Crime Commissioner Youth Fund, English Cricket Board
Specific Strategic Partners involved in Pboro:
Pboro United Community Foundation, Barnardos, Paston Farm Foundation, Huntingdonshire County Cricket Club, National Asian Cricket Council, Peterborough City Council (inc. Social Mobility/Cohesion lead), Lords Taverners, Cambridgeshire Police, CSP Living Sport
Specific Strategic Partners involved in Huntingdon:
Cambridgeshire County Council, Community Development Manager Huntingdonshire Child and Family Centres, Fusion Youth Group, Huntingdonshire District Council Sports Development Team, Huntingdonshire County Cricket Club, CSP Living Sport, National Cricket Club Conference
Overarching Projects Feedback>>
Nick Dean Cambridgeshire Police Chief Constable:
‘Yes, an excellent way to bring communities together in an informal way’.
Pboro Barnardos Gunthorpe HAF Feedback>>
Tracy Cave Pre-School Manager/ Rachel Blakemore Out of School and Holiday Club Manager Barnardos Peterborough & Cambridgeshire Locality:
‘We wanted to say a massive thank you to you personally Dave for delivering yet again more fantastic Cricket East sessions. The HAF children really enjoyed learning and developing their cricket skills, they went home and told their parents all about it. It was evident that through accessing these sessions some children were able to form new friendships and it really supported the child that we had from Italy that had only been in this country a week. We would also like to thank you for organising the trip to the Peterborough United ground too, the children had a great day.’
Pboro Gladstone Wicketz/Dynamos ‘Intros’ Joint Activity Feedback>>
Mrs Nazia Dar (her son Huzaifah has a bowing of the legs and cricket is a great source of pleasure to him and a love for the game helps manage the impairment):
‘My both boys Zaidaan and Huzaifah (10 and 9 years) were absolutely delighted that they had the opportunity to attend the three days of cricket. The boys had a wonderful time playing cricket and always came home with a smile. They expressed how they enjoyed playing triangle cricket. Both boys are very competitive and understand how important teamwork is. Also, how with good communication will help win matches, an example of this was when Huzaifah was explaining to me how he kept calling out when to make runs whilst batting. Zaidaan and Huzaifah had the benefits of learning new techniques in batting, bowling and fielding and mentioned that how this will help them up their skills in their game.
They have been practicing their cut shot, mid-on and mid-off shots. Also, the long barrier technique in fielding. The boys were told about their arm positioning in bowling, this helped Zaidaans straight bowling and he has improved his bowling very much. Huzaifah continues to enjoy his spin bowling, both have had success in some excellent deliveries when practicing.
These 3 days of cricket for the children I believe has been a great success. The kids have benefitted from learning new techniques and showing their abilities. They enjoyed playing different games and activities.
The collaboration of Cricket East, Dynamos cricket and Wicketz is a great initiative to encourage children to get into this sport, to stay active, socialise, develop their skills and then apply and enjoy the game.
Many thanks to Dave Summers, Wicketz Development Officer Jonathan Bingham and team for teaching the children and organising everything for the cricket sessions.
Lastly, not only my boys but I am sure all the children were very great full on receiving their lovely gift of the cricket bat and ball. So it's non-stop cricket now for the kids.
I hope to see sessions like this continue and my boys would love to attend sessions like these in the future.’
Mrs Nafeesa Faraz (Children Ans 12 and Mawahad 11 years):
‘Thank you for putting so much effort into the extra cricket sessions for children. They enjoyed all the outdoor and indoor activities. My children enjoyed bowling and targeting the stumps activity and practicing their catching.
In person I liked the pink gel ball gifted with the bat at the end of session and we play with that almost every day. Overall, they were all good practice sessions.
I would appreciate if you would remember us next time as well. Thank you for referring my children and giving them the opportunity to learn more. Thank you very much.’
Pboro Paston Farm Foundation Holiday Programme Feedback>> Emma Dalton Centre Development Manager: ‘It's been wonderful to introduce cricket sessions to local children at Paston Farm. The children that attended had fun and it was lovely to see their confidence grow during these sessions. It's been great to be able to utilise our outdoor area and offer an activity that promotes physical and mental wellbeing to our local community’.
Coneygear Huntingdon HAF Cricket Course 2022 Dynamos ‘Intros’ Feedback>>
Tracey Holliday Community Development Manager Huntingdonshire Child and Family Centres:
‘Snack Shack is an event that runs through the holidays in the deprived Oxmoor area of Huntingdon, through a referral system the most vulnerable families get referred by a number of partners ,at the two sessions in Easter, Dave attended ,with the aim of identifying young people for the 4 week course running in August ,this went really well as the parents of those children that really enjoyed playing cricket at the sessions were there ,so Dave and our team could give them the information ,ready to get them signed up .
Through partnership work, those identified were reminded and chased nearer the time and because of this we had good numbers, two of the parents would stay and watch their children play, which was lovely to see, as they could see the benefits the sessions, were having first hand. Having this course running alongside Snack Shack worked really well, as other members of the family, were at the park, then shared lunch with their children, when the course finished.
For me it was a great success as these children had the opportunity to take part in a sport that isn’t readily available at school, with the chance of continuing their interest and learning by joining the local club, which is on their doorstep, and those taking part, were so grateful at receiving their own cricket bat and ball, so they could keep on practising.
We would be really interested in running with this programme next year and have asked Dave to support one of our after-school projects, through the next term’.
Moving forward there is a desire to build on and broaden the locations and indeed opportunities for other cricketing activity that further challenges young people to evolve.
Dave Summers
Cricket East Diverse Communities Officer
Nov 2022