Lord's Taverners Round Up

The Cricketer report on the Lord's Taverners latest activities

Inaugural Girls Wicketz Festival inspires and educates

Girls from across the UK were bowled over by the Lord's Taverners Wicketz programme's first ever all girls Wicketz Festival at Repton School as the charity continues to deliver on its pledge to use cricket to positively impact young people.

More than 50 girls from Bristol, Plymouth, Wales, Manchester, Luton, Hartlepool, Bradford, Nottingham and Peterborough took part in the inaugural three-day festival in Derbyshire this summer as part of Wicketz - a Lord's Taverners programme using cricket for boys and girls as a tool for change.

Hira Raza, 14, from Luton is one of the scheme's most energetic participants and she said she will be forever grateful for the opportunity to discover her love for cricket.

"I had never played cricket before but as soon as I went to Wicketz, I fell in love with it," said Hira. "I love learning all the new skills. I feel lucky because not many girls get the chance to play cricket at a place like this. It's really fun to make new friends through Wicketz who all share the love for the sport.

"The Wicketz programme isn't just about cricket, but it's about helping the girls gain confidence and learn more about themselves," said Vicky Reeve, Wicketz development officer for Plymouth. "Women's sport has grown massively over the last decade and we want to help these girls find their path. They have their role models now and we want to continue to inspire them." 

Across the UK, around 20 per cent of all Wicketz participants are girls who voluntarily attend weekly cricket sessions and benefi t from wider opportunities to develop social and personal skills.

In 2018, the Wicketz project saw a fivefold increase of girls regularly attending cricket sessions run by the Lord's Taverners.

The programme aims to establish community cricket clubs in hard-to-reach, deprived areas where opportunities to play sport are lower than the national average. This year has seen Wicketz go from strength to strength with projects launching in Hull, Southampton and South Wales and more than 115 workshops delivered nationally.

First Super 1s residential festival makes huge impact

Opportunities to take part in regular sport can be limited for young people with disabilities, but having opportunities to stay away from home and socialise with new people can be even more challenging.

This summer, 25 young people from Super1s projects in Bexley, Hackney, Hampshire and Sussex, all with a wide range of disabilities, took part in the first ever residential festival at Avon Tyrrell in the New Forest, a leading outdoor learning venue dedicated to the development of young people.

While there was certainly some cricket played over the course of the three days, the young people who attended got stuck into an array of activities such as kayaking, climbing and archery along with workshops on employability and healthy eating.

The nationwide programme has been positively influencing the lives of young people with disabilities through cricket, but this three-day trip to the New Forest highlighted its impact beyond the sport.

With many of the children having never stayed away from their parents before, there was a great sense of achievement, camaraderie and independence amongst the young people as they cheered each other on climbing the high ropes, hitting a bullseye or getting in a kayak for the first time.

Redknapp and Kumar headline Christmas Lunch

King of the Jungle Harry Redknapp has been added to the star-studded line up for the Lord's Taverners Christmas Lunch on Monday 2 December – and you can book your place now to enjoy the football legend looking back on a glittering and eventful career on and off  the pitch.

Also included in the entertainment lineup to kick off the festive season in style is Nish Kumar, the UK's hottest comedian and host of The Mash Report.

With a great mix of comedy and sport, London's greatest annual charity Christmas lunch held at the five star Grosvenor House Hotel is the perfect venue for you to entertain your clients, friends and family – so book now to guarantee your place by calling 0207 025 0022.

Visit www.lordstaverners.org for more information