West Midlands Mayor Andy Street recently showed support for Warwickshire County Cricket Club’s charity, the Edgbaston Foundation, in its campaign to get children active by getting involved in cricket.
In a visit to Arbor Primary School in Chelmsley Wood, the Mayor talked to Year Six school children about the importance of staying fit and healthy before Warwickshire fast bowler Liam Norwell gave an insight into his journey to becoming a professional cricketer.
Playing cricket allows children to develop some great life skills and we’re keen to build on the fantastic summer of cricket in England by making the game as accessible as possible to everyone.
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Each of the 70 school children in attendance was then presented with a plastic cricket bat to continue playing the game outside of school.
Ravi Masih, Head of Community Engagement at Warwickshire County Cricket Club, said: “In addition to keeping active, playing cricket allows children to develop some great life skills and we’re keen to build on the fantastic summer of cricket in England by making the game as accessible as possible to everyone. Lack of equipment should never be a barrier for participation and getting active.
“Many children have been inspired by the heroics of the England men’s team in the ICC Cricket World Cup and in the Ashes series, and our hope is that giving away these 70 bats can help these Year 6 children play the game on a more regular basis, whether it be in the garden, the local park or by getting along to their local cricket club.”
Established in 2015, the Edgbaston Foundation aims to use the power of cricket to enable young people to make positive life changes.
The charity has given away more than 3,000 cricket bats to young people over the last three years to enable more children to get active in the game.
