Author: David

Cricket Shropshire Community Officer Sacha Lee is taking on an epic challenge to raise vital money for Chance to Shine STREET projects.

A major element of Cricket Shropshire’s Inspiring Generations plans during the past four years has been to put a bat and ball in as many hands as possible.

This has meant a focus on non-traditional cricket settings in the county, particularly in areas where children have less opportunity of experiencing the game we all love.

Community Officer Sacha Lee said: “We now have a proven model to enable us to deliver a variety of programmes which can be half-term MUGA (Multi-use Games Area) sessions, community spaces of a period of days and weeks during school holidays.

“This has been done by the relationships we have built with local authorities, town and parish councils along with those hard-working community hubs. 

“These evolve with delivery of our Chance to Shine programme in the local schools and if we believe they could be sustainable, we seek funding for Chance to Shine STREET Programme, which is a 30-week programme delivering in the heart of community settings.

“The route from school to community also leads to children moving to their local clubs and some of our participants have made it onto our talent pathway.

“High population urban areas are always the typical targets, but with the rural natures of our county, we also need to assess the requirements of the villages and small towns. 

“With success in Sutton Hill, Brookside, Wellington, Grange at Shrewsbury, Market Drayton we were keen to seek a location in the south of the county.

“Craven Arms has always been an area we were keen to target.

“Local youth groups have worked in this area for years and previously there has been cricket activity and the area hosts a lively footballing hub. 

“This area has a well-supported Community Centre and many Primary schools in and around the area, but no direct access to a cricket club – sitting between Ludlow and Church Stretton.

“We met with one of our sponsors Dyke Yaxley USA, to explore the idea with them. We felt it was a great fit for their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). We had no funding for breaking into this area and we were delighted when Rob Whittall agreed to support. 

“It also allowed us the opportunity to connect with Church Stretton Cricket Club members to begin the local connections.

“During the Spring we promoted and delivered a weekly outdoor session, linking with our Chance to Shine six-week Schools Programme and cricket engagement days at all the local primary schools. 

“Children aged from 8-16 engaged with our STREET style cricket games and skill building. This led onto a two-day Cricket Camp during the Easter holidays.

“The engagement from the community, schools and local families has been fantastic and we are hugely grateful for the support from our sponsors, who also visited site during sessions. We were able to provide T-shirts to the participants who had come out during a soggy Easter period. 

“Jumping ahead to the Summer holidays, using both the outdoor grassed pitches and the indoor Sports Hall, we hosted a two-day Cricket and Multi-sports Camp with more than 35 children attending. 

“This has secured the engagement from the community in Craven Arms and the surrounding areas, which has now become complete with Chance to Shine awarding us funding for a STREET CLUB to begin in September 2024. 

“We are really excited to be offering this Chance to Shine STREET Club in the south of the county. This will hopefully see an increased school participation at competitions, club memberships – both junior and senior players and more participants in a game we all love. 

Cricket Shropshire Lead Officer Steve Reese said: “Without doubt we would not have been able to move this idea to a STREET Programme and all the benefits this will have in this area without the support from Dyke Yaxley USA.

 “We are really appreciative for their ongoing support and it allows us the opportunity to continue to be able to offer these communities the opportunity to engage with our game, which has so much to offer in terms of health and well-being and socialisation.

 “This also highlights the importance of the STREET Programme which gives us the opportunity to make these initial outreach projects far more sustainable and impactful.”

Dyke Yaxley USA Managing Partner Rob Whittall said: “It is great to be involved in a community project like this.

“It is supporting the local cricket network and contributing to creating a sustainable project in the community through Chance to Shine.”

Sacha is taking on an epic charity Trek in the Alps next month with a Three Peaks challenge to raise money for Chance to Shine STREET.

Steve added: “If you can get behind Sacha’s trek and make a contribution, it will help to change lives and have such a positive impact in these communities who sometimes struggle to connect with cricket.”

For more about Sacha’s charity challenge HERE.

CRAVEN ARMS – CHANCE to SHINE ‘STREET’ CLUB

TUESDAYS 4:30-5.30

HALO Community Centre, Newington Way, Craven Arms. 

For more information please contact Sacha via sacha.lee@cricketshropshire.co.uk