Walking Cricket is having a great impact on older adults across our region.
As part of our work Supporting Communities with Cricket, the Gloucestershire Cricket Foundation (GCF) have been offering Walking Cricket since 2018 as a free activity to older adults right in the heart of the community, helping to reduce barriers to physical activity such as cost and travel. The first sessions started in Bristol with hubs now also offering weekly sessions in Cheltenham and Gloucester and others planned to take place in other districts of the county.
As we come to the end of 2024, another fantastic year for cricket in Gloucestershire, there are now five Walking Cricket hubs across Bristol, Cheltenham and Gloucester, which have provided over 200 hours of delivery to 109 unique participants.
What is Walking Cricket?
Walking Cricket is emerging as an innovative and inclusive activity that promotes both physical health and mental wellbeing, particularly for older adults. Aimed at people aged 50 and over, it is designed to be a slower paced, less strenuous version of traditional cricket, which has quickly gained traction across the delivery region of the GCF. Communities where Walking Cricket is based have embraced it as part of a broader initiative to enhance the health and wellbeing of its residents, as not only is it fun, but it also addresses critical social issues like isolation, inactivity, and mental health challenges.
Impactful benefits
Some participants have commented on how their physical and mental health has improved since taking part in Walking Cricket and are relieved how the sessions have stopped their close family and friends from worrying about their health, as they have seen changes for the better, in both these areas.
Robert, a Walking Cricket participant in his late 60s said:
“Walking Cricket has become one of the highlights of my week. Since taking part, I have found that my coordination has improved, my fitness improved, my blood pressure reduced, and my Diabetes Type 2 knocked back into remission. I have not suffered from anxiety or depression since this started, and I am sleeping better than before I attended.”
Many participants have said the sessions have allowed them to form new bonds bringing them closer to their partners, children, and friends, as they have something to talk about. All have said how they value the new friendships they have forged through Walking Cricket, with several now meeting outside the sessions for social occasions, birthdays, festive drinks, or lunches.
Looking back
In 2024, as well as the regular weekly sessions, there have been several other experiences participants have had through Walking Cricket.
An inter-hub match took place which saw players from Bristol and Cheltenham playing against each other at the Bristol Cricket Centre in a friendly but competitive game, which saw the Bristol contingent being the victors.
Fifteen players from all the hubs across our delivery region represented Gloucestershire at the first 8-aside National Walking Cricket Tournament which was played at the Indoor Cricket Centre at Lord’s Cricket Ground. It was fantastic day hosted by the MCC Foundation, who also provided a tour of the media centre, the Long Room and changing rooms with the world esteemed Honours Board.
During the summer, Walking Cricketers were invited to demonstrate their game on the outfield during lunch on the second day of the Vitality County Championship against Glamorgan County Cricket Club at the Towergate Cheltenham Festival. Several of the Walking Cricketers commented they recalled watching games at the ground when they were children, but never thought they would find themselves playing on the ground in their retirement years.
One participant said:
“I enjoyed the Cheltenham Festival. It is something I am proud to boast about as it was a once in lifetime event that I will always remember.”
Also, a group of Walking Cricketers again represented Gloucestershire at the Worcestershire National Walking Cricket Festival which took place on the outfield at New Ground.
Thanks
A huge thank you must be given to Cheltenham Borough Council, Everyone Active, Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, and The Edge Community Centre in Gloucester, whose support of the programme has been instrumental in getting Walking Cricket to reach so many older adults.
We must also thank Guardian Professional Group Limited, our shirt sponsor for the Gloucestershire Walking Cricketers, who generously purchased the playing shirts that unite the players from across the hubs when representing the county.
Looking forward
We are keen to spread the impact of Walking Cricket further in our delivery region. We have finalised our community Walking Cricket offer and are eager to upskill community organisations, leisure centres and volunteers so they can provide and build their own offer. This will mean more older adults can reap the health and wellbeing benefits of the game and connect with the wider national experiences the game provides.
With the cricket season just around the corner, we also keen to share the delights of Walking Cricket with cricket clubs in our region and build it into your cricket offer. This will not only reach more people in your community, but also increase memberships and possibly gain more volunteers.
Steve Silk, Chief Executive Officer of the GCF said:
“We support the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) drive to make cricket the most inclusive team sport and Walking Cricket is one of the many programmes the GCF offers our communities. Cricket is in an exciting place at the moment and as we look forward to the next five years, we see Walking Cricket as a key programme that brings more people into the game that complements the Gloucestershire Cricket Community.”
If you would like to play Walking Cricket or have your own offer at your cricket club or in your community, contact Crispin Shingler, our Community Development Manager, to find out more.
Email: crispin.shingler@gloucestershirecricketfoundation.org
Phone: 07903 823922