Leeds Interfaith Cricket Project

On Sunday 15^th June, 32 young people, their families and friends met at the Caribbean Cricket Club in Leeds for the inaugural Leeds Interfaith Cricket Day. The day was organised by a partnership between the Leeds Jewish Representative Council and The Yorkshire Cricket Board Black and Ethnic Minorities Forum. The event was held at the Caribbean Cricket Club's ground as part of their 60^th anniversary celebrations and O2 It's Your Community provided sponsorship.

The young people came from the Synagogues of Leeds, the Hamara centre in Beeston, the Pakistani centre in Harehills (Harehills Youth In Partnership HYIP) and the Youth Teams of the Caribbean Cricket Club.

The day was enjoyed by all and was accompanied by music, food and a general sense of camaraderie generated in large part by the hospitality of the Caribbean Cricket Club, and the club chairperson Mr. Harwood Williams. Rabbi Ian Morris, Councillor Reverend Alan Taylor, the former deputy Lord Major of Leeds, Uriah Reni, local MP Fabian Hamilton and community Sports Development Officers from Manningham Sports Association in Bradford joined the spectators during the day. Dr Peter Davis from Huddersfield University presented the Cup and medals.

This successful day is just the start of a project, which will build on the contacts and friendships which began at the event.

Sunday the 15^th was a very successful pilot and the YCB would now like repeat the Cricket Day and to look at how it can be expanded to include a wider range of organisations.

Short-term goals of the project:

Plan 4 events in the year:

• November: In-door cricket Day.
• April: Interfaith Cricket training days/week
• June: Interfaith Cricket Day
• August: Interfaith Cricket training days/week

Medium term goals of the project include:

• Introduce activities, which allow the young people to explore each other's cultures once the cricket has helped to develop friendship and trust between the players.
• Use existing or conduct new research as to how to use sport to encourage exploration of different cultures.
• Dance is a potential aspect of the different cultures which could be included as part of the process of exploration.
• An Interfaith League