Cricket Hits Inner City Bristol
Young people across inner city Bristol will be given extra support to participate in sport thanks to a new project being introduced this year by the GCB.
Street Chance is a pioneering scheme encouraging cricket in urban spaces, using the game to engage young people from a range of backgrounds in areas affected by youth crime and anti-social behaviour. Created through a partnership between Chance to shine, Barclays Spaces for Sports, Cricket for Change and Positive Futures it is delivered in schools, using the Chance to Shine model of professional coaching and competition, as well as out of school through regular community sessions. The sessions use ‘Street 20’, a fast-paced version of tape-ball cricket, where each innings last for 20 balls and games last for just 20 minutes. Recent evaluations of the programme have shown that it not only creates a sense of belonging between the participants, but that it is also helping children cross social, ethnic and religious divides.
This year will be the first of the GCB’s 3 year plan for the scheme and will focus on two projects in the north and south of the city. In the south the Board will work with the Bridge Learning Campus and John Williams Oasis schools with activity linked to community sessions at Action Indoor Sports. In the north Fairfield and Orchard schools will be the hub for curriculum sessions with community opportunities being available at Horfield Leisure Centre. Expansion in years two and three will then open further opportunities in more schools and community settings.
Steve Silk, Gloucestershire Cricket Board’s Development Manager, stated that,
“We are delighted to introduce the Street Chance scheme to Bristol. It is an excellent example of the GCB’s proactive approach of taking cricket out to the communities and engaging with new populations and young people. In this instance it is with young people that may not have had access to these kinds of opportunities before. We are also excited about the opportunity to use cricket as the vehicle to bring these communities together and teach new life skills to those taking part.”
If you would like to gain further information, or perhaps you are interested in being part of the scheme, then please contact Chris Munden
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