East & West Hendred Cricket Club (EWHCC) is pleased to announce the introduction of new coaching for girls and women’s cricket. This supports the Club’s mission to broaden community participation in sport. 

The last three years has seen significant growth at the Club, which now includes three adult league teams, a Sunday friendly side, a T20 team on Wednesday evenings, U11, U13 and U15 junior teams and more than 100 children aged 5-10 years taking part in All Stars and Dynamos training.

With more than a third of the young children being girls, the Club is keen to make sure that we have a pathway for continued growth and development of skills, with a view to introducing girls and women’s cricket teams next year. 

Club Chairman Liam Richards said: “We are delighted that with the support of local councillor Sally Povolotsky and the Oxfordshire County Councillor Priority Fund we will be able to introduce dedicated training to support the introduction of girls and women’s cricket teams. This year we will have taster sessions, and next year we plan to have teams competing in local competitions. As a Club we are committed to playing a full role in the local community and making sure we engage with all areas of society, and the introduction of dedicated girls and women’s coaching is the next step on this journey.”

Councillor Sally Povolotsky said: “The Oxfordshire County Councillor Priority Fund is an opportunity for local groups / clubs and societies to seek assistance from their local county councillor for funds needed that cannot be found through traditional routes. Having watched the EWHCC embrace the new youth engagement programmes since 2019, supported by so many community volunteers, the scale of uptake in cricket development from a young age through All Stars and Dynamos was fantastic. Participating first hand, as a mother of one of those children, it’s been great watching all the children progress, plus their enthusiasm and excitement for the sport. The development of both young boys and girls on an equal footing wholly embraces my own priorities of equality and inclusion. Being able to help fund specialist coaching to ensure young girls and women sustain their passion for cricket from 13yrs +, give access to role models and specialist technical training as they get older was a project I simply couldn’t refuse and have great pleasure in assigning £1500 from my Priority Funding. I am immensely proud of the club’s management, coaches and volunteers for their recognition of an engagement issue and desire to push female youth and women’s cricket further at the club and I can’t wait to see the results of this funding first hand at cricket practice and future matches.”

Having received the funding, EWHCC has acted quickly and the Club ran its first taster session for women and girls on Saturday 31^st July. The event was well attended with 24 participants supported by three coaches. Feedback was very positive, and a second taster event has been planned for Saturday 21^st August. Any women and girls across Oxfordshire from age 11 onwards are welcome to attend.

For further information on the girls and women’s coaching at East & West Hendred Cricket Club and for details of how to get involved as a player or volunteer, please contact Dom McKenna at mckennadom@gmail.com or on 07540 921 017.

Notes:

East & West Hendred Cricket Club is part of Hendred Sports Club CIO based at Mill Lane, East Hendred. As a registered charity, Hendred Sports Club is run by volunteers with the aim of:

• Promoting existing and new amateur sports (we are always open to discussions with groups looking to base new sports and leisure activities at the Sports Club);
• Encouraging community participation in healthy recreation; and
• Providing a focal point for the community to come together at a sport- and leisure-based hub

https://www.hendredsports.org.uk/what-we-do

www.eastwesthendredcricketclub.com

Councillor Sally Povolotsky is the Oxfordshire County Councillor for Hendreds & Harwell. Sally can be contacted on 07939 912997 and at Sally.Povolotsky@Oxfordshire.gov.uk

PHOTO – Some of the participants at the first Women and Girls cricket training session at East & West Hendred Cc on Saturday 31^st July 2021

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