Free cricket 4 kids entitled to free school meals

Aim

To provide free cricket sessions to local schools and free memberships, training and kit for children entitled to free school meals.

Our Organisation

Chingford Cricket Club is a small, non-profit, registered Community Amateur Sports club (CASC) in Chingford, founded in 1884. Being a registered CASC means that we are able to claim Gift Aid on donations. The club is run by volunteers and funded entirely through membership fees, bar takings, grants and donations, am important source of extra income.The membership fee is to help the club pay for maintenance of the cricket ground, changing rooms, cricket school and clubhouse. Without the membership fee the club could not exist. Without new players joining the club, it will cease to exist, so attracting children and their parents to the club is vital. After two seasons affected by Covid we've lost income from the bar being closed and lost members to other sports and activities.

What we do in the community

 We are a community club and our clubhouse is used by many groups such as

• Neighbourhood Watch
• Orion Harriers
• Local councillors

We have been providing free 'Taster' and 'After School' cricket sessions to local primary and senior schools and holiday cricket camps for the past few years, funded by various grants. All our coaches  are DBS checked ECB Level 2 qualified and our lead coach Hassan is currently undergoing his level 3 training.  As a result of our school sessions our junior section – our ‘Colts ’ section has increased to include teams at U9, U11, U13, U15, U16 and U19. But we want children whose parents cannot afford to pay the membership fee or the costs of training and cricket equipment to be able to join in.

Cricket is an expensive game. Because it is played with a hard ball flying through the air, batters and wicket-keepers need suitable helmets, pads and gloves so that they can play safely. Without our help, just the cost of kit alone would prevent some children being able to play the sport.

This summer we had a small grant which enabled us to pay the club memberships of 7 local children including some Afghan refugees, who were entitled to free school meals. We were also able to provide them with free kit and training. But that funding has now gone. To enable us to keep those 7 children playing cricket with the club and to enable more boys and girls to join, we need your help, please! Grants are now much harder to get as many funders are only funding Covid-relief projects, which is why we are hoping that this Crowdfunder appeal will help us continue to provide free sessions to schools, free cricket camps during school holidays and free cricket for boys and girls entitled to free school meals.

The Project we need your help to  fund

With your help please, we can continue sending one of our coaches into local schools (most of which have no cricket facilities of their own) to provide:-

•  free 'Taster' and 'After School' sessions at local schools
•  free holiday cricket camps (indoor or outdoor) for local schoolchildren and
•  provide free memberships, kit and training for kids entitled to free school meals, who would otherwise miss out. 
• With enough funding some may even be able to join others on a short cricket tour to somewhere else in the UK with others in their age group next summer, which might be the only holiday they will get.

Your donation, no matter how big or small is greatly appreciated and our heartfelt thanks go to you as we work towards hitting our target.

Free places at the club for  kids who wouldn't otherwise be able to afford it, gives them the chance to train regularly and play in matches. Without this, children who don't get to play cricket at school, will not be given the chance to take part in selection trials and so will not be able to progress through to playing at county or national level. Our club has seen several or our former 'Colts' go on to play for Essex and the England Lions and one, Dan Lawrence (see Dan below with some of our young Colts), is playing test cricket with the England team!

Taster sessions introduce boys and girls as young as 5 to the sport through cricket-based games, getting them active through running, catching, hitting and throwing a ball.

After School sessions keep children active and having fun in a safe place and off the streets, so keeping them out of trouble.

Cricket training includes fitness training and advice on good nutrition so can help keep children fit and healthy.

Why cricket?

Participation in cricket is falling. But cricket is a unique team sport that relies on individual performances. For a team to win, a batter needs to bat well and score runs, a bowler needs to take wickets and a fielder needs to take catches and stop the batter taking runs. Through playing the game, children learn how to-

•  take responsibility as an individual, 
• work as part of a team and 
• accomplish goals through doing both. 

Through cricket, boys and girls 

• have the opportunity to meet & socialise with other children from different backgrounds, 
• learn about different cultures and 
• develop their social skills as well as their physical skills. 

All of this helps build their self esteem and confidence, which also helps them at school.

We know that we can help advance the physical, social and emotional development of children and young people in the area and help keep them safe and out of trouble. Even a child with poor cricket skills can learn how to score games or umpire and learning how to do this successfully will increase their self belief and sense of achievement.

Attracting boys and girls to the club means their parents come along too. Everyone can meet and socialise and get involved in training sessions and matches if they want to. The club has become an important social hub for many parents and their children

Note - as of 16 November we have been allowed to extend our fundraising duration by 4 weeks in order to work with Sport England to obtain matched funding.

This project successfully funded on 17th December 2021