Chance to Shine are delighted to announce a new two-year partnership with specialist investors, Gresham House. Their funding commitment will support the delivery of school and Street programmes, so Chance to Shine can deliver best in class cricket coaching to young people across the UK. Gresham House staff will also help more children play, learn and develop through cricket by raising much needed funds.
Gresham House are a specialist investor aiming to drive social progress by investing in causes which have a social impact. They support organisations tackling inequality, improving livelihoods and building resilient communities.
Using cricket as a vehicle, Chance to Shine strive to improve the lives of young people by providing them opportunities to learn, play and develop. With a focus on developing wider wellbeing and life skills, they help young people fulfil their potential, and by removing barriers to access, they ensure all young people can play this wonderful game.
Last year, 51% of the 600,000 young people Chance to Shine reached were girls. They are at the forefront of the girls grassroot game, just as the cricketing community welcomes a home Women’s World Cup.
Meanwhile, 9 in 10 of their community Street cricket clubs were in the most deprived areas of the UK, with 71% of participants attending from ethnic minority backgrounds.
Tony Dalwood, CEO of Gresham House said: “We are proud to be partnering with Chance to Shine and share in its mission to promote personal development, physical, mental and social wellbeing for millions of young people across the UK through the love of cricket.
“The team at Gresham House will be providing support and funding for Chance to Shine’s Street and schools programmes and look forward to being part of what is such an important and special journey.”
It was a sentiment echoed by Kate Stephens, who commented: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Gresham House and are grateful for their pledged support. Their funding will help us improve lives and build strong communities throughout England, Wales and Scotland.
“We want to give every child a chance to play, learn and develop through cricket, and that’s why we target the most deprived areas of the UK. We’re so proud of our impact on girls grassroot cricket, but want to do more; this support will take us closer to our goal.”
It was an honour for Kate to visit Gresham House London headquarters for the partnership’s launch and meet Tony along with some of the team at Gresham House. Chance to Shine are excited work together, so more young people can play this wonderful game.
