Supporting Afghan Youth Cricket in Bristol

Aim

Help Afghan refugees in Bristol adjust to life in England through cricket.

For many young Afghan refugees arriving in Bristol, the chance to play cricket—to join a team, share in the camaraderie, and feel a part of something—is often out of reach. They lack the kit, the facilities, and the support to participate in local clubs, and many struggle with the trauma of displacement.

That's where Afghan Youth Cricket Bristol comes in. Founded in 2023, we use the shared love of cricket to help young Afghan refugees, ages 14-25, integrate into their new community. Our club provides them with a safe space and the opportunity to gain the skills and confidence needed to play league cricket in the Bristol area.

We see their passion for cricket as a fantastic talent pool for local clubs across Bristol, but realising the potential relies on access to kit, facilities, and training, which this project aims to provide.

What We've Accomplished So Far

Over the past two seasons, we've seen incredible transformations. We've watched young people who were struggling with depression and trauma find joy and purpose through team activities. We've seen their confidence grow as they've played matches against teams from a wide range of backgrounds in the North Somerset Cricket League. For most of our players, this was their first experience with club cricket, and they wouldn't have had this opportunity without our support.

In 2025, after being promoted to Division 2, the team finished in 4th place.

Peter Haigh, Treasurer and Vice-chair for the North Somerset Cricket League, has witnessed the impact the team has had on the young people’s lives:

“I think that the club plays an extremely valuable role in providing a focus point for young Afghans in difficult circumstances. 

One of their senior players reported back to Heather not only how much he enjoyed our ground but also how lovely it was to have the sense of feeling respected. Cricket then would appear to be a rare chance for them to gain respect from the wider community, adding to their self-esteem and aiding integration.”

During our first two years, we were fortunate to receive some financial support from Sport England, without which none of this would have been possible. 

Now, with Sport England help, we're launching our first-ever crowdfunder to raise the funds needed to continue this vital work through 2025-26.  If we succeed in raising £5000, from at least 25 donors, the Sport England Movement Fund will amplify the impact of your donations, with match funding of £5000, taking us to our target of £10,000!

To find out more about the team, and see more images of what our work means to our players, visit our Facebook page

Our Vision for the Future

We believe cricket offers these young people a unique way to heal and integrate. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive development path, similar to what English clubs have traditionally used, taking players from their first training session all the way to leadership roles.

To achieve this, the funds we are seeking to raise will enable us to provide:

• Qualified coaching in group training sessions, indoors from October to April, and outdoors through the playing season.

• Experience playing in a Sunday League team focused on development.

• All the necessary kit for shared use during training and matches.

• Skill-building opportunities in umpiring, scoring, safeguarding, and coaching.

• Support to help players find places in other clubs to play in Saturday League teams.

• Leadership development through sharing match day responsibilities and other club tasks.

How You Can Help

Help us to raise £5000 so that we can unlock the £5000 match funding from the Sport England Movement Fund and reach our target of £10,000 to keep going for another year! Your support is essential to enable us to provide these opportunities and continue to be a source of hope for these young people. 

We are also looking for businesses to partner with us! If you can offer discounts or donations as "rewards" for pledges, we would love to feature you on our crowdfunder page.

Sponsor our match day teamwear! We are looking for one or two businesses who would like to sponsor us and see their logo on our playing shirts. If you are interested, please contact us.

Together, we can help these young people find their place in the Bristol community and bring new talent and passion to the city's cricket clubs.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made