Sussex Cricket showcases £1m Breaking Boundaries programme

Sussex Cricket showcases £1m Breaking Boundaries programme.

Breaking Boundaries is a £1m initiative from the Sussex Cricket Foundation to widen access to cricket for state school children and create clearer pathways into the game. Supported by Sussex Cricket and backed by Focus Foundation and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), it is already helping more than 4,000 young people across Sussex.

Through a growing network of State School Cricket Hubs, alongside professional coaching, teacher development, facility investment, club partnerships and representative competition, the programme is creating lasting opportunities for young people throughout their secondary school years.
 

The event will bring together pupils, teachers, schools, community partners and cricket stakeholders at The County Ground, Hove, the home of Sussex Cricket, for a day that brings Breaking Boundaries to life through competitive cricket and the voices of the young people, teachers and schools already benefiting from the programme.
 

Throughout the day, four area-based franchise teams made up of Year 9 and 10 pupils from across Sussex will compete in a T20 competition, with the day also featuring firsthand stories from the schools, teachers and young people helping shape its success.
 

Early impact includes four new hubs, 62 teachers trained through CPD programmes, 169 students supported through half-term activity and 290 students supported through after-school cricket.
 

The long-term ambition is simple: every child in Sussex should be within 30 minutes of a State School Cricket Hub.

Chris Goodman, Sussex Cricket Board member and Founder of Focus Foundation, whose investment has helped establish Breaking Boundaries, said: "For me, this has always been about opportunity. Cricket, like every sport, should be accessible to every young person, not just those fortunate enough to attend an independent school. Breaking Boundaries is about giving more children the chance to experience the confidence, wellbeing and aspiration that sport can unlock. If it also helps produce future Sussex or England cricketers, that would be a fantastic byproduct."
 

Paul Farbrace, Sussex Men's Head Coach, said: "The more opportunities we can create for young people to experience cricket, the better it is for them and for the future of the game. Breaking Boundaries is about ensuring ability and enthusiasm are not limited by circumstance." 

Gary Wallis-Tayler, Head of Sussex Cricket Foundation, said: "We're already seeing Breaking Boundaries make a real difference in schools across Sussex, but this is only the beginning. By working closely with schools, teachers, clubs and community partners, we are helping more young people discover cricket and fulfil their potential."
 

Breaking Boundaries builds on more than a decade of work by Sussex Cricket and the Sussex Cricket Foundation to widen access to the game. Central to that has been the long-standing partnership with Brighton Aldridge Community Academy (BACA), which has helped establish new opportunities and pathways for state school cricket in Sussex. Breaking Boundaries now builds on that work to extend those opportunities across the county.
 

Sir Rod Aldridge, President of Sussex Cricket, said: “Sussex Cricket has always believed the game is strongest when it is open to everyone. I have been a long-term supporter of state school cricket through the successful cricket programme run at BACA for the past 10 years in partnership with Sussex Cricket. Breaking Boundaries reflects this commitment to state school cricket and gives the opportunity to extend this work to many more young people across Sussex. I look forward to seeing the impact of this on the future development of the game and to the opportunities it will bring.”
 

Former England World Cup winner and broadcaster Alex Hartley has also lent her support, backing its ambition to widen access to cricket for state school children across Sussex.
 

"I'm proud to be associated with Breaking Boundaries because it goes straight at one of cricket's biggest challenges: access. Talent is everywhere, but opportunity isn't. By putting high-quality coaching into state secondary schools, supporting teachers, improving facilities and linking pupils with local clubs, the Sussex Cricket Foundation is creating a proper route into the game for boys and girls who might otherwise never get one. That matters not just for future players, but for the future of cricket."
 

The programme is also backed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), which sees initiatives like this as an important part of widening access to cricket and strengthening pathways into the game.
 

Leshia Hawkins, Managing Director of the Recreational Game at the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), said: “Creating more opportunities for young people to discover and stay involved in cricket is one of the game's biggest priorities. Programmes like Breaking Boundaries show the impact that can be achieved when schools, clubs, recreational cricket boards, professional clubs and local communities work together to widen access and create meaningful opportunities for children and young people. We welcome, applaud and want to support scalable initiatives that complement the ECB's wider ambition to grow the game and help ensure more young people develop a lifelong connection with cricket.”
 

Media attending the event will have the opportunity to interview Chris Goodman, Gary Wallis-Tayler, Paul Farbrace, Sussex T20 captain Tymal Mills, Sussex Women's Head Coach Alexia Walker, together with other Sussex men's and women's players (all subject to availability), alongside participating schools, teachers and young people involved in Breaking Boundaries.