Chance to Shine is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a return to where it all began – Hague Primary School. Since launching at this school in Bethnal Green, the charity has grown to reach 7.3 million young people to date.
In May 2005, just as he was about to embark on possibly the greatest Ashes series win in England’s history, Andrew Strauss joined pupils for a cricket session to mark the launch: “It’s incredible to look back at what Chance to Shine have done over the last 20 years,” said Strauss. “They’ve gone from an idea on a piece of paper to something delivering day in day out and getting more people playing cricket who otherwise wouldn’t”.
On the 8th May 2025, with the school drenched in East London sunshine, pupils were treated to a day of cricket sessions with England allrounder Dani Gibson. The celebrations also included a bat-making workshop from renowned manufacturer and Chance to Shine partner, Gray-Nicolls, music sessions with England supporters group the Barmy Army, and a commentary workshop led by Test Match Special’s Aatif Nawaz.
The day continued with a special dinner at the Oval, where Strauss was joined by three of his Ashes teammates to share stories of their victory over the Australians. Ashley Giles, Paul Collingwood and Simon Jones regaled an audience with memories from the iconic test series in an evening hosted by Mark Nicholas.
Charity co-founders Nicholas and Lord Mervyn King also came together to reminisce about the 20 years of Chance to Shine during the evening. It was Nicolas and Lord King who joined forces with cricket manufacturer Duncan Fearnley, to inspire young people through cricket, by establishing the charity in 2005.
Chance to Shine initially worked by pairing schools with local clubs to provide expertise in school sessions, while also offering the opportunity for children to join the cricket clubs involved. Since its early days, the charity’s operation has grown extensively, reaching 64% of state primary schools since 2017.
The programmes have had a profound effect on the wellbeing of young people, with 90% of pupils saying they have fun during Chance to Shine sessions, and 87% saying they feel confident when they play cricket.
Beyond cricket in schools, Chance to Shine run approximately 300 Street clubs in under-served communities across England, Wales and Scotland. Street was launched in 2008 with the ambition of giving opportunities to young people to play cricket, in areas where access to the sport is otherwise limited.
The charity has guided the likes of Bilal, a former Street cricketer turned financial advisor and Chance to Shine trustee, and Zoeya, a medical student who credits the life skills learned through cricket as a key driver in her journey to becoming a doctor.
Chance to Shine is also a catalyst for some of England’s elite players. In 2022, Issy Wong and Lauren Bell were the first Chance to Shine participants to play for England. Both their debuts came in a test match against South Africa at Taunton. Since, Bell has made 53 international appearances.
Georgia Davis became the third Chance to Shine cricketer to play for England, when she took two wickets on debut in an IT20 win over Ireland in autumn 2024. She also became captain of her home county Warwickshire at the start of this year.
“I wouldn’t be playing cricket if it wasn’t for Chance to Shine,” said Davis. “I think about what I do now, and I think wow. That is incredible.”
2024 was also the year Chance to Shine launched their ‘Limitless Futures’ strategy, which sets out Chance to Shine’s ambition to reach one million young people annually by 2028, and to go even further in prioritising under-served communities.
With two domestic World Cups coming up, and a government ‘Future of Cricket Fund’ still on hold following the 2024 general election, it is a vital moment for Chance to Shine’s future.
“Now is the time to invest,” says Chief Executive Kate Stephens. “This is about creating a moment of change where young people not only get the opportunity to play cricket near their home – but also to experience it in their school. It’s a fully connected journey – and one that ensures cricket becomes something they’ve lived and feel part of.”
