Sussex Cricket Foundation deliver session for Afghan families

Over the West Sussex schools' half term on Wednesday 23rd February our team of Sussex Cricket Foundation Community Coaches were out and about in Crawley supporting an initiative to further showcase the game, in partnership with West Sussex Council and the Crawley wellbeing team at the borough Council.

Hosted by Everyone Active at the K2, our team delivered fun and games all day to over 150 families originally from Afghanistan, as part of a joined-up approach to showcase what opportunities the sport has to offer across Crawley. 

With cricket being such a popular sport in Afghanistan it was fantastic to see such passion and love for the game and a real desire to want to join local clubs and get more involved throughout the summer. In turn, this will prove to be such a positive opportunity for all our clubs across Crawley, building on the fantastic existing work they're doing to support the growth of the game. 

Matt Parsons, Central Area Territory Manager said, "Crawley is such a diverse and cricket-passionate part of Sussex and as such it's no surprise that the demand for more and more activity continues to grow. It's exciting to meet literally hundreds of new families who are so keen to dive straight into everything Crawley has to offer for cricket and it's fantastic that we're able to help a community find new opportunities and become a full part of the Sussex family."

Our 5-year Urban Plan for all cricket in Crawley which was launched in 2021 shows our commitment to the sustained growth of the game across the town and ensuring we continue to showcase how cricket in Sussex is a game for all remains at the heart of the plan. With our increased provision for Women and Girls cricket through our project work with Active Sussex and the Tackling Inequalities Funding, along with our Wicketz project in partnership with Lord Taverners, there is a range of opportunities for anyone to access the game regardless of their ability or background. To view the Sussex Cricket Foundations Urban Cricket Plan for Crawley please click here. 

As we move closer to the start of the summer, our increased presence across Crawley with all our project delivery will continue the work Sussex Cricket Foundation has already delivered over the last five years and build on the ever-increasing demand. The families we met and engaged with last week will further add value to the diverse, passionate and exciting cricket family we already have in Crawley and our team of coaches will always be on hand to help provide the opportunity for anyone to get involved.