North Yorkshire Playing for Success

Yorkshire County Cricket Club and North Yorkshire County Council launched the North Yorkshire Playing for Success Educational programme on Monday 25th January 2010; an educational programme enhancing achievement in numeracy and literacy in 10-14 year olds through cricket themed activities.

The North Yorkshire Playing for Success scheme is the first of its kind in the country delivering cricket themed classroom work and cricket coaching in to schools.

Forty pupils from Harrogate High School and Bilton Grange Primary School took part in 75 minutes classroom based activity and 75 minutes of cricket and multi-skills coaching over a six weeks pilot study.

The pilot study culminated in a Presentation Evening at Bilton Cricket Club on Friday 12th March to celebrate the students’ hard work and Joe Sayers, Yorkshire player and England Lions player, presented certificates and awards to all the children.

The programme has now expanded to a ten week programme to include Harrogate High School, Rosset High School, Grove Road Primary School and Pannal Primary School during the Summer Term. Pupils will be rewarded with a Presentation Evening at Bilton and Harrogate Cricket Clubs in July.

Joe Sayers said: ‘This is such a valuable programme and it’s really important for young people to amalgamate education and sport. I’ve been lucky enough to combine the two throughout my degree and playing career and I just wish I’d had the opportunity this programme has offered the young people.’

Cynthia Welbourn, Director of Children and Young People’s Services at North Yorkshire County Council commented: ‘I am absolutely delighted with the programme and the opportunities we are providing young people in North Yorkshire through our partnership with Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Wouldn’t it be fantastic if we could identify the next Harold Larwood through the North Yorkshire Playing for Success programme? He showed that he was the best that he could be and that’s what we hope to encourage these young people to be.’

The programme is an expansion of the Headingley Learning Centre Playing for Success Scheme which has been running successfully for eight years. The Headingley Learning Centre is part of a network of 162 learning centres in the country, including 10 cricket centres. Playing for Success is a nationwide ‘out of school hours’ learning programme supported by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, local authorities and sport clubs. The aim is to raise achievement in literacy, numeric and ICT skills for children who are at risk of underachieving, using the stimulus of sport to motivate them.

Check out the photos!

Contact
Alison Giles     
Community Marketing Manager   
Yorkshire County Cricket Club   
agiles@yorkshireccc.com   
0113 203 3620