Chance to Shine’s thriving partnership with the Wholesale & Convenience arm at Premier Foods continued with an excellent day at the Lord’s Indoor Centre earlier this month, as Jos Buttler helped one of our coaches lead a session for some state-educated pupils.
Jos, one of England’s best white ball players, help lead some action-packed cricket learning, before he shared his insights via a Q&A with some of the Year 5s from St Joseph’s Primary School, Westminster. It was a wonderful opportunity for the children to meet one of England’s best players and learn from his experiences as an international cricketer.
“It’s been a great day,” said Jos. “Seeing all the boys and girls playing cricket, getting stuck in and having lots of fun was fantastic – I’ve loved being part of it.”
The event was part of the Premier Foods Wholesale & Convenience Summer of Cricket campaign, which has supported 10,000 hours of coaching for children in state primary schools over the summer, through their support of Chance to Shine’s schools’ programme.
During professional coaching sessions, state-educated pupils are taught key cricketing and physical skills in a fun, friendly environment. The sessions help children and young people build resilience, develop social skills, and cultivate a love for the game.
The Summer of Cricket campaign has also given independent retailers the chance to win exciting prizes, and three lucky winners experienced a meet and greet with Jos, after the pupils’ session.
Gita Kahlon, Channel Marketing Manager at Premier Foods summed up the day: “We had such a fantastic morning filled with top-quality coaching, enthusiastic participation, and a brilliant Q&A with the pupils.”
And Chris Baker, Chance to Shine’s Head of Fundraising explained the value of the partnership: “At Chance to Shine we believe in the power of cricket to provide state-educated children the chance to develop skills on and off the cricket square. The support from Premier Foods helps us to do this, and days like today will hopefully give St Joseph’s pupils memories for life.”
