Devon schoolboy helps cricket charity mark 7 million milestone
A schoolboy from Devon has helped l independent cricket charity Chance to Shine celebrate a major milestone, as it approaches its 20th anniversary year.
Eight-year-old Theo Smith becomes the seven millionth child to benefit from the charity’s support, following sessions put on at Mayflower Community Academy in Plymouth last week (Thursday 19th July). The whole school attended a Chance to Shine assembly before Theo and 150 fellow pupils took part in cricket themed PE lessons run by the charity’s coaches from Devon Cricket
The charity has also today published its Impact Report, detailing their work in the 22/23 academic year. Supporting 604,283 young people between September 2022 and August 2023, Chance to Shine aims to give all children the opportunity to access the sport and develop personal, social and physical skills in the process. Working with its delivery partners, the past 12 months have seen the charity reach more than 4,000 state primary schools – 42% of which had a higher-than-average proportion of students who are eligible for free school meals.
The 2024 report evidences Chance to Shine’s blueprint for inspiring young people through cricket and supporting their wellbeing and development across England, Wales and Scotland. 95% of teachers surveyed said that chance to Shine positively impacted their students happiness and confidence, whilst 69% of children agreed that they enjoyed taking part in exercise and sports, a 10% increase compared to the start of the programme.
Founded in 2005, Chance to Shine – which counts former England men’s cricket captain Eoin Morgan among its trustees– also runs free year-round ‘Street cricket clubs’ for young people in underserved areas to attend.
The data shows that Street cricket clubs offer a safe and inclusive environment for young people to play cricket and develop new skills – 98% of Street cricketers agreed that they felt included and safe at sessions, whilst 92% said that their communication skills had improved.
Theo said: “Playing cricket makes me feel happy as it lets you play with your friends. I like playing with my friends as it expresses my feelings and gets rid of stress,” said Theo. “There was a lovely coach who inspired me to join the club that she told us about. I’m more confident now about batting – when I started playing cricket I used to use a big ball but now I use a smaller ball.”
Speaking about the charity reaching the seven million milestone, Chance to Shine chief executive Laura Cordingley said: “Reaching 7 million young people through Chance to Shine programmes is a milestone we are tremendously proud of. As always this year’s impact report celebrates not just our scale, but the lasting effect these programmes have in schools and underserved communities - developing young people in ways that extend far beyond the playground.”
