Last Friday Ilford Cricket Club hosted a 'Cricket Force Day' put on by sponsors of English cricket NatWest. Members of the club and local community came together to renovate the club and give local primary school children a day of cricket related fun.
England and Surrey cricket star Tom Curran lent a helping hand. After helping give the club a much needed makeover, Curran, alongside volunteers from Bancroft’s School and Ilford Cricket Club, put some of the 150 or so attending children through their paces in a fun coaching session.
In an interview with the press, the 23 year-old, who recently took part in the winter’s Ashes Series, said:
“You never know where you are going to find the next future star, so getting as many kids involved and keeping clubhouses in a good state through NatWest Cricket Force is what it’s all about. It’s great to play a part in supporting that.”
This is the first time that Ilford CC, which boasts alumni such as Nasser Hussain and Graham Gooch, have been selected as a showcase club in the ECB initiative which sees NatWest and the ECB bring communities together at over 2,500 cricket clubs across the country each year.
Events like this are crucial for maintaining relationships between cricket clubs and the community. Richard Lightbrown, the ECB’s National Programme Executive, explained:
“It helps to bring together club and community volunteers to carry out a wide range of facility improvement projects which will help create more family friendly environments.”
Ilford will soon be hosting an All Stars Cricket programme for any youngsters who want to get involved in cricket. For further information contact the club.
