School Children attend Cricket 4 London Camp! | Kent Cricket

For the last three days of July, Cricket 4 London (an ECB funded collaboration between the four London based CCBs – Essex, Kent, Surrey and Middlesex) delivered a holiday activity camp for 100 school children between the ages of 8-12.

The camp, topically staged at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, saw each county offer 25 school children from underserved communities a whole host of sporting and non-sporting activities to try. This, of course, included cricket and saw the likes of the London Spirit’s Ravi Bopara and Ryan Higgins, along with legends Courtney Walsh and Angus Fraser, all help to deliver cricket sessions.

The children were transported to and from their county each day and were provided with a nutritious meal and snacks to keep them fuelled. Spoilt by some perfect weather, the children were thankful the programme included water sports as they rowed on the River Lea and swam in the London Aquatic Centre, where they also tried out Water Polo.

Other activities included netball, BMXing, handicrafts and drama all delivered by a stellar cast of partners including the West Ham United Foundation, London Pulse Netball, and Art4Space. The children were also given a tour of the London Stadium as it prepares for the return of Premier League action.

Feedback from parents included,

• “My son had an amazing time and I’m so glad I signed him up. Looking forward to any other projects that may be introduced”.
• “Thank you so much for everything. Jack said it was the best holiday camp he’s ever been to”

ECB Network Partner for the London & East region, Chris Mankelow, was delighted with the outcome, saying:

“The last three days are a great example of removing cricket’s traditional boundaries in the capital and doing something for the greater good of some deserving young Londoners. These children have been far more active thanks to cricket and with most of their parents having to work during the holiday period, we’ve ensured they go home happy, exercised and well fed.

I’ve also been particularly impressed by the levels of collaboration amongst the four counties and with other sports. I hope we’ve got a blueprint here on how to deliver positive outcomes for those at risk of missing out.”