We have strategic goals to spread cricket to all parts of the country and remove barriers to participation, leading us to follow a place-based approach in our work. We use key metrics to guide our delivery, such as the Income of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) and the percentage of pupils eligible for Free School Meals (FSM). These data points help us map out the areas with the greatest need, bringing our Programmes to the doorstep of these communities. After sharing insights with our delivery partners, we can identify new areas that lack an existing cricket offer. By connecting our school and Street Club sessions, we develop locally-led ecosystems of cricket around our mission to inspire young people.
The UK Office for National Statistics reports that half of all coastal towns in England and Wales are deprived. Indeed new research from the University of Essex’s Centre for Coastal Communities shows young people living in deprived seaside places are more likely to become unhealthier young adults than those living in deprived inland areas. The following Street Clubs seek to remedy the inequities facing young people in these areas.
Worthing
In Worthing, West Sussex, several neighbourhoods fall within the most deprived 10-30% areas of England, according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation. Chance to Shine have worked closely with Sussex Cricket Foundation to pinpoint the opportunity for a free, weekly Street cricket club in the area.
“This is a great example of how we use data to connect our programmes and demonstrate the need for Street cricket,” says Chris Sowton, Head of Impact and Evaluation at Chance to Shine. “In Worthing, we’ve identified four schools within a two-mile radius where pupils face economic challenges. While traditional clubs exist in the area, many young people struggle to access them. By launching a Street club here, we can ensure cricket reaches those who need it most – providing an outlet for their passion after our school programmes have sparked a love for the game.”
Sussex Cricket Foundation’s Carl Tupper echoes the need for such an opportunity: “We’ve decided it’s a good place to start, given the need with the number of people in the area and the untapped market for what we’re trying to achieve. There are a lot of leisure centres in the area, but again the cost becomes difficult. Unless you’ve got money to access sports, you’re not going to access them easily and that is why Street is special. This will give young people a space they wouldn’t have otherwise.”
Hastings
Two Street Clubs are running in the Hastings area this year, and one of them is a new Girls Only Street Club. After a process of trial and error, using different spaces and timings to engage the local community, Hastings has finally found a suitable venue at the Y Centre. ‘Hastings is an area of deprivation and social inactivity and having Street be a relaxed and informal environment for children, and girls in particular, will work better than just going into school,’ says Sussex Cricket Development Officer Alex King. ‘We’re using the Y Centre, a good facility closer to the housing estate.
Following the delivery of a Dynamos and All Start Programme to support young peoples’ physical activity in Hastings, the Girls Only Street Club is a welcome and essential addition to the existing cricket offer as it provides an inclusive setting for girls to get involved. ‘Women and girls’ cricket in Hastings is a massive point to develop because there’s a lack of it,’ says Alex. ‘We work in this game because we think it can change lives positively. I’ve seen it transform kids’ lives in my last 7 years here and if we can do that in Hastings where there is that level of deprivation and we can make a difference, it’s important.’
Workington
Young people in the Workington area of Cumbria have lacked a free, accessible cricket offer. The existing cricket club mostly meets the needs of those who already have a way in to the sport, generally from more affluent backgrounds. This gap is being remedied by a new Street Club at Moorhouse Community Center. ‘We chose Workington because it’s one of the most deprived communities in the west coast of Cumbria, with no real cricket provision for those from low socio-economic backgrounds,’ says Cumbria Cricket Development Officer Fraser Conn. ‘It’s a good starting place to open at Moorhouse, a big enough hall central to Workington.’
Sessions are already making an impact, bringing together children of different ages and backgrounds in an engaging, welcoming environment. Coaches infuse a strong sense of community spirit and empower participants to get involved, have fun and be active. There are plans to open another Street Club in the Carlisle area, spreading a love for the game and the opportunities it provides. ‘I don’t believe any of the participants do any other activities elsewhere, and it being a free initiative, gives them something to do,’ says Fraser. ‘There’s an individuality with them that they don’t know each other so they’ve managed to meet new people. At the end of the day, sometimes children miss out so this is a programme where we can target more children and attract a different audience.’
Hull
For the past two years, Chance to Shine and Street Games have brought cricket to eager children at Hull Futsal Club. Both coaches, Ryan Naylor and Joe Duffy, have previous Chance to Shine experience and understand its ethos. Through this Street Club, they invite young people who have not played cricket to try it out in an informal setting. ‘This is a nice middle ground for them, and there aren’t that many spaces for informal play, so building confidence is massive,’ says Ryan. ‘We’re now at a point where everyone is improving and that gives the person who didn’t think they’re any good a sort of self-belief. Now, they don’t mind if their team wins or loses. Everyone has a sense of achievement.’
Based in a secondary school and offering sessions to boys and girls, the Street Club gained popularity through word of mouth. Participants who have fun playing bring their friends along and many have grown an undeniable passion for it. ‘Two Afghan refugees heard about the sessions at the school, and one of them comes every week and loves it, it’s made him a bit more comfortable and not just the new kid, the lads here give him a fist bump,’ says Ryan. ‘Two of the girls might join a women’s team and myself and Joe do the signposting. The kids are getting hooked into cricket and enjoy it and the feedback is in them turning up repeatedly.’
