Hounslow Council, Middlesex in the Community (MITC), Sky and Sport Impact have teamed up to launch a community cricket partnership for young people in Hounslow.
The partnership was launched at Springwell School in Hounslow on Wednesday 25 March with an exciting cricket session for female pupils at the school. Former England fast bowler Angus Fraser and Managing Director of MITC was on hand to offer his skills to the local pupils.
The partnership aims to make cricket accessible for girls and boys in the borough - inspiring participation, building confidence and helping young people to get active. The partnership will offer a brilliant first impression of cricket and the opportunity to play regularly. As a borough, Hounslow has one of the worst rates of childhood obesity in the capital and improving physical activity can play a pivotal role in tackling health inequalities.
The Council will utilise its partnerships with schools and the local community to increase participation in the sport, while MITC and Sport Impact will provide coaching and support cricket festivals. Sky, whose headquarters are based in the borough, will help organise the partnership and provide volunteers for events.
With the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup to be hosted in England this summer, one of the core aims of the partnership is to get more girls involved with cricket across the borough. The development of the QEII Sportsground in Brentford will be the Club’s new home for women’s and girls’ cricket and build on the 200 women’s and girls’ teams playing cricket in the county of Middlesex.
Cllr Rajawat playing cricket
Speaking of the partnership, Middlesex in the Community’s Senior Partnership Manager (Recreational Programmes) Chloe Longdon, said:
“This is a partnership that Middlesex in the Community is delighted to enter as we look to strengthen our ties to the borough of Hounslow alongside our project partners. We are excited to develop the game in such a diverse community through a number of different projects in the borough, and we hope to unearth talent that may feed into Middlesex's female & male pathways – harnessing growth for years to come.”
The Leader of Hounslow Council, Shantanu Rajawat, said:
"It’s fantastic to be working together with Middlesex in the Community, Sky and Sport Impact, giving more children access to sport, especially girls.
"We support many popular sports in Hounslow and look forward to giving women and girls' cricket the boost it deserves.
"With the tenth Woman’s T20 World Cup coming to England and Wales this summer, it couldn’t be a better time to collaborate on a new home for women’s and girls’ cricket, in Hounslow."
Hounslow Council has recently announced a number of initiatives to help residents get active. Its recent budget also announced £250,000 to break down barriers for young people, including discounts and offers on leisure and wellbeing at the Council’s six leisure centres. The Council has also teamed up with the Football Foundation to refurbish outdoor pitches at three housing estates across Hounslow.
Carolyn Evans, Partnership Director for Sport Impact, the school sports partnership for the borough , said:
“Sport Impact are delighted to be a key partner in this exciting new initiative. This partnership will allow us to introduce cricket across our whole school community, helping to shape first impressions of cricket as a brilliant, inclusive, and inspiring sport. We look forward to working closely with all partners to ensure this programme has a positive and lasting impact on teachers, children and young people in our schools.”
Fiona Ball, Fiona Ball, Group Director, Bigger Picture & Sustainability (Responsible Business, Sustainability and Social Impact) at Sky:
“As a business rooted in Hounslow, we’re committed to playing an active role in the life of our local community. Sport has a unique power to bring people together and support young people’s confidence, wellbeing and aspirations. It’s inspiring to see so many partners working collaboratively to strengthen cricket opportunities across the borough, and we’re proud to support a partnership that puts young people at its heart.”
Information about the cricket sessions will launch in April.
