Cricket Invests In Girls

Cricket charity Chance to Shine, which this week celebrated reaching two million girls through its work since 2005, has announced funding from Natwest and the Sage foundation for a major new girls’ cricket programme in UK secondary schools.

The initiative, revealed on International Women’s Day, will receive further support from a number of the charity’s donors, seeking to reach more than 14,000 girls through 120 schools.

It aims to provide a comprehensive programme of coaching, leadership training and competition to teenage girls, helping them develop key life skills needed for the classroom and the boardroom.

As Chance to Shine’s Official Charity Partner, Natwest will support the work to help understand the wider impact of team sport, particularly for teenage girls in developing key life skills that will support future education and life choices.

The launch of the programme follows the announcement of nine-year-old Keira McDermott from Staffordshire as the two millionth girl to pick up a cricket bat and ball through Chance to Shine, which is supported by the England & Wales Cricket Board and Sport England. 

The Langley Primary School pupil was surprised with a presentation during her school assembly and also enjoyed the opportunity to open the London Stock Exchange after an invitation from LSE and Chance to Shine Chairman Sir Donald Brydon.

Meanwhile, Chance to Shine is also supporting a new competition launched by the ECB in partnership with the nine First-Class Counties hosting international women’s cricket this year.

#HeathersPride, fronted by England Captain Heather Knight, will give 11 girls across the country an opportunity to join Knight and the England team for a training session ahead of the Ashes.

It’s #IWD2019!
To celebrate, an amazing opportunity…
To join #HeathersPride & train with the team!
Find out more https://t.co/k7UJUR8cMa pic.twitter.com/FxejtIApWI

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) March 8, 2019

Commenting on the campaign, Clare Connor, who was appointed Managing Director, Women’s Cricket at ECB, in January 2019, said: “Our strategy for 2020-24 is all about inspiring future generations and this is a great initiative from Heather and the Counties to really bring that to life by giving 11 lucky girls the chance to train with their heroes for the day.

“Whilst International Women’s Day is an appropriate day to celebrate the progress made so far it’s also important to recognise the challenges we still face in our ultimate ambition of making cricket a gender balanced sport.

“The Inspiring Generations strategy outlines an ambition to invest £50m into women’s and girls’ cricket over the four-year period and this level of investment will help us continue to both increase the number of women and girls playing recreationally, as well as grow the profile of the elite women’s game.”