Kent Cricket Community Trust (KCCT) believes that taking part in physical activity can have a profound and positive impact on mental wellbeing, improve mood and decrease the chance of depression and as well as anti-social behaviour.
The opportunity to run regular cricket sessions through our First Change program is more often than not the only constant, familiar activity to help ease the feeling of displacement among our young people. Being part of a team helps to address and support the process of healing and recovery from the journey to the United Kingdom.
With the goal of supporting our young people to join a local cricket club, we believe that a county cricket programme will provide rounded support and opportunities to aid and complement the work of the Home Office, local authorities, community organisations and education providers. This is done through a range of activities such as coaching sessions, training for coaching certifications and introductions to some of the 260 cricket clubs.
The power of cricket as a vehicle to bring refugees and asylum seekers to a place that can feel familiar will provide a feeling of safety and community. Playing a sport that the refugee and asylum-seeking community have a passion for also provides the opportunity to just have fun, relax, share experiences, and switch off for a moment.
Our key outcomes are as such:
- Accessible community cricket coaching sessions
- Access to watch local and county cricket, being able to bring all refugee & asylum seekers to Kent Cricket venues
- Access to cricket equipment, especially for those who play hard-ball cricket
- Community integration
How To Make A Referral
Referrals to our programme can be made by anyone who has direct contact with a refugee or asylum seeker and would like support in helping them to either join a cricket programme, a cricket club or require support with sourcing kit. Usually these are made by our community partners, social service team or reception centres, however, we are happy to help wherever possible. Resettled refugees can also self-refer into our programs and registration forms have a translation option.
Please see below information for various sectors:
First Change Referral
If you are responsible for young refugees or asylum seekers, and would like our assistance in getting them into a cricket programme or local cricket club, please fill out the below form:
Information for Cricket Clubs
One of our goals with the First Change programme is to get our resettled young people into a local cricket club. Being a part of a cricket team and club provides a real feeling of engagement and acceptance. It enables the young people to be seen by people other than in a ‘charitable or needy’ way, and show cases the skills that the young people may have to offer to British society.
If you are a cricket club and would like our assistance in welcoming refugees and asylum seekers into your club, please follow the link below:
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Would you or your business like to sponsor this programme, as part of your corporate social responsibility?
Please contact Sarah Osborn, KCCT’s Development Manager, via the button below:
New Enquiry
Donation guidelines:
- £35.00 = Funds an hour of community coaching for a community group.
- £50.00 = Funds a young person to undertake a support coaching qualification.
- £175.00 = Funds a young person to undertake a foundation coaching qualification.
- £200.00 = A Cricket and Tea for 10x people identified as socially isolated.
- £300.00 = Funds a six-week cricket programme for a community group, this could be for young people, refugees, families impacted by domestic abuse or at risk of homelessness.
Donate to the KCCT now [via the Charities Aid Foundation]
