The Gloucestershire Cricket Foundation held free Dynamos Community Engagement Days across Patchway and Coney Hill.
On Wednesday 28th and Thursday 29th August two inclusive cricket days brought the game to a new audience in the heart of their community. The fully funded places are part of the ECB Dynamos Cricket initiative, designed to provide accessible cricket opportunities for children and young people. The sessions have helped ensure that underserved communities can participate in sport during the holidays, regardless of their financial situation.
With the support of Patchway Town Council, a sea of yellow t-shirts descended upon Norman Scott Park as 31 children arrived excited for an action-packed day of cricket. Across the day, the children got stuck into a range of batting, bowling and fielding games before finishing with a very competitive game of five bats!
Wilf Brooke, Wicketz Development Officer, said:
“It has been brilliant to hold a Dynamos holiday camp at Norman Scott Park. We’ve had 31 children come down, many of whom had never played cricket before. Everyone left with a smile on their face, made new friends and hopefully found a sport for life. Patchway Town Council have been instrumental in setting this day up, and all of the staff on the day were great in ensuring the day ran smoothly”
Councillor Dayley Lawrence, Mayor of Patchway, said:
“What a brilliant conclusion to the cricket season at Scott Park. These young people from the town had a fantastic day, and maybe we will see a number of them take the sport forward and join their local Patchway Cricket Club. Thank you to Gloucestershire Cricket Foundation for bringing the event to Patchway.”
Further north of the county in Gloucester, 19 children arrived at Barnwood Park School raring to go.
Sam Emmott, Wicketz Development Manager, said:
“Both the community engagement days have given young people the chance to try cricket for the first time. This is a great example of how the link between the funded Dynamos sessions has signposted young people onto one of the GCF’s free community hub sessions that run year-round. It means that for many, their journey can continue beyond the summer in a supportive environment where players are encouraged to learn, stay active and develop their skills. Following both Dynamos days, we have seen a significant number of young people join their Wicketz hub sessions in Patchway and Coney Hill.”
Partnering on the day were BeeZee Families who spoke to many of the participants and families about offering a range of programs designed to support families in improving their health and well-being. BeeZee Families aim to make healthy living accessible and enjoyable for families, helping them build sustainable habits that contribute to their overall well-being.
The Lords Taverners Wicketz programme in Gloucester played a key role in working with local partners to promote this offer to young people at Family Fun Days at Coney Hill Rugby Club. Designed to bring families and community members together for a day of enjoyable activities, these dates offered the perfect platform to promote holiday and year-round physical activity.
What is Wicketz?
Wicketz is a community cricket programme funded by the Lord’s Taverners. It works with young people aged 8-16 in urban areas with limited access to cricket. In Bristol, we run free weekly sessions all year round across four locations in: Southmead, Knowle, Hartcliffe and Patchway. Whilst in Gloucester, sessions take place in Coney Hill. If you are interested in finding out more about the programme, please get in touch with Sam Emmott, Wicketz Development Manager, on 07398 211 596 or via email at sam.emmott@gloucestershirecricketfoundation.org.