Welcome to Chance to Shine’s first ever Youth Advisory Board Impact Report, setting out all we have done over the last 12 months, and sharing our plans for the future. From advising on programme delivery and design, attending Trustee meetings, representing the charity at the Impact Report launch, and playing an active role at Youth Sport Trust conferences, over the last 12 months we have worked hard to champion and advise on the charity’s work from a youth perspective.
Through this inaugural Youth Advisory Board Impact Report, we aim to highlight how Chance to Shine incorporates the voices of young people at the heart of what the charity does. Whether in playgrounds, mosques, sports centres, boardrooms or on the pitch at Lord’s, Chance to Shine is committed to making sure our voice, the voice of the next generation, is heard loud and clear. This is vital to ensure that the programmes which we deliver are as impactful and effective as possible to enable all children to play, learn and develop through cricket. We are proud that over two thirds of the Youth Advisory Board bring direct experience of Chance to Shine programmes, giving us a unique perspective that sits at the heart of our approach.
The work of the Youth Advisory Board falls into three areas: shaping programmes, supporting at events and taking an ambassadorial role on behalf of Chance to Shine. Our work in each of these three areas is set out in this report, as well as our plans for the year ahead, from October 2026 to September 2027, the same period as Chance to Shine’s financial and delivery year.
With rising concerns around screen time and young people’s mental health, the value of the work of Chance to Shine has never been clearer. Cricket provides young people with opportunities to connect, build resilience, and unlock their full potential and we are excited about what we can achieve in the coming year.
Ammar Din Begum
Co-Chair
Chance to Shine
Our Youth Advisory Board combines first-hand experience of Chance to Shine programmes with insight from cricket and the communities we serve, ensuring the voices of those we exist to support help shape our work.
Click the profile pictures to learn about our members.
The Youth Advisory Board plays an important
role in the development and continuous
improvement of Chance to Shine’s programmes,
advising on both delivery and design.
YAB is a key part of our Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP) for 2024-2028. The EDI Steering Group meets twice a year to review progress and discuss priorities for the DIAP.
This year Ammar, Momina, Areesh and Llio have joined Steering Group meetings, strengthening connections between the group and YAB, enriching the discussion and deepening Chance to Shine’s understanding of key areas and potential improvements – for example girls’ participation in Street cricket.
To harness excitement around the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, Chance to Shine delivered Engagement Days for more than 10,000 pupils across over 80 schools near tournament venues.
The Youth Advisory Board helped shape the planning for co-creation sessions, giving pupils a voice in how the activities were developed. In Somerset, YAB member Niamh Wait brought this work to life by delivering one of the sessions in her role as a Chance to Shine coach.
Our Street Leaders course helps cricketers
from our Street programme take their first
step into coaching, creating relatable role
models and a sustainable coaching pipeline.
This year, our YAB worked to help shape the course – ensuring every element was engaging, relevant and gave young people the best possible chance to succeed.
Co-Chair Ammar brought youth voice directly into the boardroom as he presented to Chance to Shine trustees in September, whilst the YAB met with Chief Executive Kate Stephens at Edgbaston to understand strategic priorities for the year and share their input.
“I always love introducing young people to the game, knowing I had co-designed the sessions made it extra special.”
Niamh Wait
YAB member and Chance to Shine coach
Chance to Shine’s flagship events bring our mission to life,
inspiring young people through cricket. The YAB strengthens
these occasions through hands-on volunteering, authentic
representation and constructive feedback.
The team came together at Lord’s to support the Annual Awards and celebrate the very best of Chance to Shine.
The ceremony gave them a chance to inspire children and young people who have also benefited from the game as participants and coaches, while also meeting key stakeholders from across the sector.
Rowan, Momina, Raghav, Ammar and Llio joined us at the House of Lords to launch Chance to Shine’s 2026 Impact Report. The group gave parliamentarians and
supporters an authentic view of what cricket can mean in a young person’s life.
By speaking directly with guests and drawing on their own experiences, they helped bring the report to life and ensured young people were represented in conversations about our future.
Our Street National Finals saw Street clubs from across England and Wales compete across three days, with over 600 young people taking part.
Providing vital hands on support across the three-day event, Momina, Isobel and Niamh were on hand to collect important data for our Impact & Evaluation team, whilst Llio and Ammar led team challenge activities, which the YAB team had developed, for the girls on the first day of competition.
Our Youth Advisory Board members are champions for
Chance to Shine, bringing the experiences, ideas and energy of young people into some of our most important moments and promoting the value of cricket, sport and physical activity.
Ammar and Isobel met representatives from Play Their Way – a UK-wide movement helping coaches put children’s voice at the heart of sport – to sign a pledge committing Chance to Shine to child-first delivery principles across its programmes.
During the England v India Test at Lord’s, Ammar joined Ian Ward live on Sky Sports to talk about his journey with Chance to Shine. He shared how Street cricket helped him build confidence, develop life skills and find a sense of belonging after moving to England.
Momina attended the launch of the Commonwealth’s ‘One Commonwealth, One Team’ cricket series at Marlborough House.
Alongside Sir Vivian Richards, Donna Fraser OBE and Rob Lawson, she spoke about how cricket helped her build confidence and community,
while showcasing Chance to Shine’s impact to Commonwealth leaders and decision-makers from across the Commonwealth.
We want to say a massive thank you to our previous YAB Chair, Sara Yasin who served as Chair from 2024 to early 2026. Sara has set an incredible standard in her work advocating for young people in sports, and we were
all thrilled to see her announced as Young Advocate of the Year by the Sport and Recreation Alliance in Spring 2026.
Our YAB members have brought young people’s experiences into key conversations about sport. Isobel has regularly represented Chance to Shine at the Youth Sport Trust’s National Youth Sport Forum, former Chair Sara opened the School Sport & Activity Sector Partnership Summit, and
Niamh and Ammar spoke to teachers and education colleagues about our programmes and free resources at the Youth Sport Trust Conference in March.
It’s been a privilege to help shape our Youth Advisory Board and to see its growth over the past year. We’re looking forward to continuing to embed youth voice across Chance to Shine in 2026/27, while welcoming some new faces, ideas and perspectives.
In particular, we want to support the strategic goals of the charity as a whole. I believe we can play a huge role in supporting the development of Street; five Board members are Street coaches, and their work on the ground gives us valuable insight into what young people need and how clubs can improve. It is also important that we contribute to wider cricket, sport and education thinking on behalf of Chance to Shine, support key events and represent the charity in our own words.
Chance to Shine is for young people, so we want people to learn about the organisation from young people. Expect to see and hear plenty more from the YAB going forward, as we continue to shape the charity at every level.
Llio Parry
Co-Chair
Chance to Shine
Ensuring young people have a meaningful voice in our work is essential. Over the past year, our Youth Advisory Board has helped shape our thinking, challenge our assumptions and strengthen our impact. We are incredibly proud of all they have achieved and excited to continue working together to create even more opportunities for young people through cricket.”
Kate Stephens, Chance to Shine Chief Executive
“Cricket was a huge part of my own upbringing. I want others to have that experience”
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