England cricketer Sophie Ecclestone recently visited Helsby Hillside Primary School, which she attended as a child, as part of a campaign to encourage pupils to get active after the Covid-19 lockdown.
Ecclestone’s visit was part of a wider outreach initiative carried out alongside England men’s cricketer Chris Woakes, which aimed to promote the ECB’s new Dynamos Cricket programme and raise awareness among children all over the country of the positive role cricket can play in their mental health and physical wellbeing.
To do this, the pair have sent letters to all schools across the country that deliver the Chance to Shine programme. These letters have now reached more than 150,000 pupils.
Sport England’s 2019/20 Active Lives Survey uncovered that almost a third of children and young people [2.3 million] are now doing less than an average 30 minutes of exercise per day, which could have a detrimental impact on overall wellbeing.
The ECB’s solution, Dynamos Cricket, is targeted toward children of all abilities aged 8-to-11 to help encourage healthy lifestyles.
Surprising pupils at her old school, Helsby Hillside, which delivers the Chance to Shine initiative, Ecclestone - the number one IT20 bowler in the world - discussed what inspired her to get into cricket and how she benefited from it.
Speaking after her visit to Helsby Hillside, Ecclestone told Sky Sports News: “When I was growing up, playing cricket, and getting outside were a constant source of fun and relaxation for me, and have continued to play a crucial role in my life.
“I'd hate to have had that taken away for one week, let alone a whole year, so I can only imagine what kids have been going through in lockdown.
“I loved revisiting my old school to talk to the kids about it all - especially the girls - and chat about the positive impact sport can have on their mental and physical health, because it is such an important message. It is why getting kids back outside and active is so important.”
Helsby Hillside headteacher, Craig Richardson, said: “It was brilliant to welcome Sophie [Ecclestone] back to Hillside and to hear her memories of attending our school and her journey to playing cricket for England and being the number one bowler in the world!”
Woakes added: “It has been such a tough year for kids all over the country, and we have to do all that we can to help them. They have been separated from their friends, and they haven't had the opportunity to get outside and live active lives as they normally would.
“This has to change. I have personally benefitted hugely from exercise and cricket over the years, and I just want kids to be able to have that opportunity too. We all stand to lose out if they are denied it. As a kid, I'd have loved to have something like Dynamos and after the year we've had I hope it will offer lots of fun for kids and parents alike this summer.”
Readers can find out more about Dynamos Cricket here.
