Bringing the benefits of cricket back to state schools 

The campaign:

The Cricket Foundation launched Chance to Shine in May 2005 and set out to bring competitive cricket - and its educational benefits - back to at least a third of the country’s state schools initially over a ten year period. 

Now in their sixth year, Chance to Shine recognise the power of cricket to help young people acquire important skills, values and attitudes for their future lives. The campaign does not aim to develop the cricketing stars of the future and although it’s possible they might find the next Andrew Strauss or Charlotte Edwards, their main aim is development through cricket. Chance to Shine is a national campaign that relies on corporate and individual charitable donations.

To sustain the programme and achieve its target of reaching at least two million state school children by 2015, they need to raise £5million annually. To date, the Cricket Foundation has raised £23.8 million in funds privately through individual donors, corporate partnerships, Trusts and Foundations. The Government, through Sport England, has provided an additional £12.5million funding to support the Chance to Shine campaign. 

How it works:

Chance to Shine is delivered through individual projects working with County Cricket Boards across England and Wales. 

Each project provides a structured coaching and competition programme for a group of up to eight primary and secondary state schools. The group of schools is supported by professional, qualified coaches engaged by one local cricket club.

Chance to Shine also provide equipment, facility development (including playground markings and non-turf pitches) as well as training for state school teachers and coaches. Each project is funded for a minimum period of five years and once it’s ended, they work closely with schools and clubs to help them sustain cricket activities.

They also work on a number of special projects, including StreetChance, MCC Spirit of Cricket, and the hospital cricket programme.

England and Surrey fast bowler Chris Tremlett looks back at his cricketing roots  – and how he wants you to play a part in cricket’s future.

As a professional cricketer, it’s good for me to take a moment to think about where I am and how I managed to get here.

I first started playing cricket with my Dad in the hallway when I was two. With a dad and grandfather who were both professional cricketers, the game is in my blood and I grew up playing cricket. Throughout my childhood I was tall for my age and with my height I was always going to be a bowler!

I began my cricket education at Otterbourne Primary School and Top of the Hill CC, in a village outside of Winchester in Hampshire, where I learnt the game and developed as a person. Clubs and schools nearby are now supported by Chance to Shine, the Cricket Foundation’s charitable campaign to improve the state of competitive cricket in state schools by linking them with local clubs. Cricket in the area is now thriving, and I hope that maybe one day we’ll find another England cricketer from that area.

Playing cricket isn’t just about becoming the best in the world. Some children may go on to play professionally or even for England, but there’s so much more to the game than that. Cricket has helped make me the person I am today. I’ve learnt to be disciplined, to respect my teammates, opponents and umpires. It’s a game that levels you – one day you’re top of the world and have taken five wickets or scored a hundred, the next you don’t bowl or are out first ball. It can teach you so many of the skills needed for everyday life. It’s a unique game – highly charged at times, and placid at others. But you can’t go around shouting and swearing at people. You need to be controlled with your emotions, and I think that lots of kids can learn so much about how to behave in life through cricket. It’s not just about winning, but also about respecting each other, whether you win or lose.

Chance to Shine is working in nearly 4,000 state schools. Cricket clubs are selected by their county boards to be part of Chance to Shine, and those clubs link with up to eight local state schools (about two-thirds of which are primary). Clubs provide professional coaching for children, as well opportunities for teachers to learn new coaching skills on the job.

Since the campaign launched in 2005, just under one and half million girls and boys have had cricket coaching through Chance to Shine. The charity aims to reach two million children by 2015, but they need your help to make this possible.

I’ve met many amazing people through cricket. I have had some incredible experiences and I hope many more to come! I’m sure that many of you reading this will have similar nostalgia and love for the game. I hope that you’ll donate to help a child that may not otherwise have the opportunity to play cricket. Any amount makes a huge difference, but just £15 pays for a whole year of Chance to Shine for one child. Go on - do it now!