Foundation to provide access to cricket to thousands of kids this summer
As the registration period opens for popular national children’s cricket programmes - All Stars and Dynamos - Lancashire Cricket Foundation has committed to delivering a record 1,400 bursary places for participants across the county this year.
Now in their sixth year, the All Stars and Dynamos courses were introduced by the England and Wales Cricket Board to introduce more children to the sport.
The programmes have proved incredibly popular in Lancashire, where the Red Rose’s Community Foundation works with delivery partners at more than 200 clubs and centres county-wide to facilitate courses, with more than 20,000 children taking part since they were introduced.
The Lancashire Cricket Foundation delivers bursary places that has enabled clubs and delivery partners to provide free access to thousands of children in deprived areas and diverse communities, as well as special focus on growing female participation.
This year, over 1,400 bursary places will be provided to All Stars and Dynamo’s participants, more than ever before, underscoring the Foundation’s commitment to make cricket accessible to all.
England and Lancashire Thunder cricketer, and Lancashire Cricket Foundation Board member, Kate Cross, who learnt her trade at Heywood Cricket Club, Greater Manchester, comments:
“All Stars and Dynamos are brilliant ways to introduce children to the game of cricket and I’m extremely proud that my county is able to offer such a high proportion of places via our Foundation-led Bursary Programme. Grassroots participation is so important to the future of the game and these programmes deliver so many benefits for young people: helping them stay active, make new friends, learn new skills, and, most importantly, have loads of fun.
“In the Club’s 160th year, the Red Rose has never been more active in supporting the growth of cricket across the North-West and championing the work that is undertaken to make cricket more accessible, inclusive, and enjoyable for everyone.”
In 2023, over 5,600 children attended All Stars and Dynamos programmes across Lancashire with almost 1,200 young people from disadvantaged areas receiving bursaries.
All Stars Cricket provides a first experience for all children aged 5-8 years old where they’re guaranteed eight weeks of activity and skills development across each hour-long session. The programme is designed to introduce children to the sport, teaching them new skills, and helping them make new friends.
Dynamos Cricket offers a next step for all those graduating from All Stars Cricket and the perfect introduction for all 8-11 year-olds new to the sport. Dynamos is all about fun and provides children with a more social offer, focusing on developing the fundamental skills required to play cricket. Both All Stars and Dynamos Cricket are fully inclusive and designed to support a wide range of abilities, disabilities and different learning needs. For children who do not meet the Bursary criteria, the All Star Cricket programme costs £30 for eight hour-long sessions, while the Dynamos programme is priced at £40 for the same duration of tuition.
In addition to the coaching received, every child who registers receives their very own t-shirt, personalised with their name and number, plus a range of other benefits including priority access to Lancashire Cricket tickets and the chance to meet players, merchandise discounts, and the chance to win money can’t buy prizes.
Jen Barden, Executive Director of the Lancashire Cricket Foundation, adds: “Through a variety of programmes, the Foundation delivers cricket to more than 110,000 participants in our schools, clubs, and communities, and we have a strong commitment to growing the game of cricket across the county. We are particularly proud of the Bursary Scheme that provides young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and under-represented groups with access to cricket. These programmes are vital for introducing the game to more young people, helping them stay active and develop new skills, in a fun, friendly, and inclusive environment.”
In Lancashire Cricket’s 160th anniversary year, the work of its Foundation underpins many aspects of the broader Red Rose Together campaign which launched earlier this year to highlight the range of the Club’s and Foundation’s key activities that drive a love of the game and make cricket accessible to all. Red Rose Together aims to celebrate and champion the work that is undertaken to make cricket more accessible, inclusive, and enjoyable for everyone.