Earlier this week, Middlesex in the Community were involved in delivering a holiday activity camp over three days for 100 school children between the ages of 8-12.
The camp, topically staged at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, saw each county offer 25 school children from underserved communities a whole host of sporting and non-sporting activities to try. This, of course, included cricket and saw the likes of the London Spirit’s Ravi Bopara and Middlesex’s Ryan Higgins, along with legends Courtney Walsh and Angus Fraser, all help to deliver cricket sessions.
The children, who also came from Essex, Kent and Surrey, were transported to and from their county each day and were provided with a nutritious meal and snacks to keep them fuelled. Spoilt by some perfect weather, the children were thankful the programme included water sports as they rowed on the River Lea and swam in the London Aquatic Centre, where they also tried out water polo.
Other activities included netball, BMXing, handicrafts and drama all delivered by a stellar cast of partners including the West Ham United Foundation, London Pulse Netball, and Art4Space. The children were also given a tour of the London Stadium as it prepares for the return of Premier League action.
Middlesex in the Community’s Managing Director, Angus Fraser, was delighted with the outcome, saying:
“The last three days are a great example of removing cricket’s traditional boundaries in the capital and doing something for the greater good of some deserving young Londoners. These children have been far more active thanks to cricket and with most of their parents having to work during the holiday period, we’ve ensured they go home happy, exercised and well fed.
I’ve also been particularly impressed by the levels of collaboration amongst the four counties and with other sports. I hope we’ve got a blueprint here on how to deliver positive outcomes for those at risk of missing out.”
