Thousands of children have attended this year’s Cricket World Cup for FREE thanks to the ICC Cricket World Cup Schools Programme
- ICC Cricket World Cup Schools Programme rewarded thousands of children with FREE tickets to three special designated fixtures.
- Tickets given away to schools and communities for every match at #CWC19
- The programme is part of the target to engage with one million young children in the build-up to and during the tournament.
At each fixture during this summer’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, schoolchildren have been given the opportunity to attend a match for FREE thanks to the ICC Cricket World Cup Schools Programme. On Thursday 4 July, the Schools Programme was celebrated as Afghanistan and West Indies met at Headingley, as thousands of children in the crowd were able to experience a Cricket World Cup match.
The match at Headingley was one of three special designated fixtures that rewarded thousands of children for their participation in the Schools Programme. Earlier on in the tournament, schoolchildren across the country came together to enjoy the Afghanistan v Sri Lanka thriller at Cardiff Wales Stadium, as well as the Bangladesh v Afghanistan game at Hampshire Bowl.
The Schools Programme, which has been developed by the International Cricket Council (ICC), England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and leading sport charity Chance to Shine, has been part of the strategy to engage one million young people in the lead up to – and duration of – the tournament, using the Cricket World Cup to inspire and engage a new generation of cricket fans and players.
Through the ICC Cricket World Cup Schools Programme, not only have children been rewarded with tickets to see the world-class cricket, but some have been able to walk out with their heroes, stand in the middle with top international cricketers for the national anthems, and been able to play on the pitch in front of spectators during the mid-innings breaks. 14 coaching clinics have also taken place up and down the country, with every team involved in passing on their skills to the next generation of cricketers.
Steve Elworthy, ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 Managing Director, said:
“It is an important priority to inspire a new generation of fans and players of the sport and the Schools Programme has been a key part of that.
“It was a wonderful moment to see so many children from the Schools Programme enjoying World Cup action. Many of those attending have been experiencing the exciting atmosphere of a Cricket World Cup match for the first time, and I hope they enjoyed the experience.
“It’s been very encouraging to see how many schools have signed-up to the ICC Cricket World Cup School Programme, and it helps us with our aim to inspire the next generation of fans and players by taking the tournament across England and Wales.
“This tournament has given us the opportunity to put this sport on the map. As well as inside the venues, the British public have been able to experience the magic of the World Cup through so many ways. This has been evident by the amount of schools that have signed up to the Schools Programme, but also by impressive numbers that have attended the Fanzones, which saw a high number of children in attendance. Both have allowed us to get outside of the cricket bubble.”
Back in the classroom, schools have been using the ‘Celebrate Cricket’ project, which gets children thinking of unique ways to celebrate this summer’s tournament. For the project, schools have been provided with bunting and poster templates to dress the school and kick-off the celebrations, engage parents and get the wider community involved. This project is the last of six half-termly projects which have engaged children across the academic year.
Since the Schools Programme launched in September 2018, teachers across England and Wales have been able to use the free learn and play resources, assembly ideas and cross-curricular activities, all of which can be found on teacher’s portal via the Chance to Shine website.
For further information about the ICC Cricket World Cup Schools Programme, please visit: https://www.chancetoshine.org/
Responses