Middlesex Cricket collaborated with Essex Cricket in hosting ‘A celebration of community cohesion and aspiration through cricket in East London’ event at City Hall on the evening of Monday 19 February.
The highlight of the evening was a series of panel discussions featuring notable figures from cricket in East London. The panels included former professionals, female trailblazers, and volunteers who are activating the game in our region. Among the attendees were former international cricketers Nasser Hussain, Mike Gatting, and Angus Fraser, who participated in the professional panel discussion.
The event, driven to creation by Unmesh Desai, member of the London Assembly for City & East and Essex Cricket Community Director, was also attended by Deputy Mayor of London Howard Dawber, who addressed the 230 guests in attendance.
Guests from the community, who have played significant roles in promoting inclusivity and participation in cricket at all levels, were welcomed to celebrate the game's impact on people of diverse ages, genders, and backgrounds in East London.
Middlesex legend, Angus Fraser, commented: “It was a real honour to be invited onto the panel at this prestigious event in the heart of east London.
“The communities within our east London boroughs have an enormous appetite for the game of cricket. So, events like this which showcase the level of engagement that already exists, and the amount of work that is being done to provide greater opportunities in the area are hugely important.
“Our thanks go to Essex Cricket for allowing us to collaborate on this event.”
Arfan Akram, East London Cricket Operations Manager, added: “The inspirational East London community continues to play a huge part in activating the game we love. The opportunity to showcase the journeys, challenges and personal stories of inspiring individuals at an iconic venue such as City Hall was very powerful.
“One of the aims of the event was to empower those within our community to share their experiences and hopefully inspire the number of youngsters in the room to follow their dreams within our sport.”
“The panel discussions covered a diverse range of topics, including the advocacy efforts of South Asian female role models in programmes aimed at dismantling barriers to access for young girls, the initiatives of volunteers in facilitating pathways for students from state schools, the aspirations of young cricketers, and the invaluable insights shared by former England legends regarding their personal journeys and experiences."
“It was an honour to host this event in collaboration with Middlesex Cricket as part of the Cricket4London initiative, where cross-boundary partnerships are having a huge impact in engaging, exciting and enhancing everyone’s experience in cricket.”
