Chance to shine - Educating through cricket

MCC Spirit of Cricket

This is an exciting partnership between the Cricket Foundation and Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) that will introduce tens of thousands of children to the key MCC Spirit of Cricket messages enshrined in the Laws of the game.  The scheme is part of the wider MCC Spirit of Cricket campaign to encourage children to play hard and play fair.

Chance to Shine coaches work to bring the MCC Spirit of Cricket message to the core Chance to Shine programme. A special MCC Spirit of Cricket assembly resource has been produced to reinforce the messages and fair play is encouraged through Spirit of Cricket 'champion' sticker rewards.

Each Chance to Shine school is provided with an MCC Spirit of Cricket trophy to support intra school competition. The aim is for Chance to Shine schools to organise a competition that allows the children to put into practice what has been learnt in the classroom. All matches will be scored and umpired, ideally, by the children so that they get used to these important facets of the game.

The Cricket Foundation and MCC also deliver a summer camp experience for children across five regions, the North, London & East, South West, Midlands and Wales.

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Hospital Schools

The Cricket Foundation is proud to have introduced a pioneering cricket coaching scheme at Great Ormond Street Hospital’s school in 2008. Following its success, the project was expanded to the Evelina Children's Hospital school at St Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital in 2010.

Led by a dynamic coaching duo, Denise O’Neill and Ray Tudor, the project has benefited a number of sick youngsters, many of whom would not get the chance to be involved with games and PE in a hospital environment.

The Chance to Shine sessions use games and skills that can be adapted to suit a wide range of ages and capabilities. Some children have severely debilitating illnesses. “To see them come out of their shells and see them with a smile on their face, I feel I’ve achieved something”, says Ray.

Sessions involving batting, throwing and catching in the classroom or playground are followed by ward visits to work with young people who are too sick to make the trip down to the hospital school. Denise says, “coaching in hospitals is totally different to anything I’ve ever experienced. I’d love to do it every day.”

There are many cases where Chance to Shine has made a real difference to children’s lives, none more so than Jake, an 11 year old receiving treatment for leukaemia at Great Ormond Street, who looks forward to the sessions every week. His mother has no doubts about the benefits of the scheme. She says, “having the opportunity to come down to the school and be outside and play cricket. It makes it a whole lot more bearable for Jake.”

Watch the video

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Since April 2008, members of the World Cup winning England women’s squad, including captain Charlotte Edwards, have worked as Chance to Shine coaches, encouraging more young girls to play cricket. Through the Chance to Shine programme, the players are helping to develop girls’ sections at clubs and support local competition structures, allowing a further generation of World Cup winners to be cultivated. 

The coaching ambassadors are: Caroline Atkins, Charlotte Edwards, Lydia Greenway, Jenny Gunn, Danielle Hazell, Beth Morgan, Danielle Wyatt

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