Bringing cricket to new communities with Dynamos Intros

Dynamos Cricket Intros hit the ground running in it’s first year in Surrey. Over 600 schoolchildren signed up to play free cricket in under-served communities in South London.

With funding from Sky and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), the Surrey Cricket Foundation (SCF) ran the pilot programme throughout 2023. It provided free Dynamos sessions to young people in and around South London who had not previously had the opportunity to play cricket. Due to success of the programme, it has been awarded further funding and will continue in 2024.

The initiative aimed to increase cricket opportunities for children aged 8-11 in disadvantaged communities, with a particular focus on children from lower socio-economic backgrounds and those on free school meals.

A further aim of the programme is  to provide a dedicated coaching to try and get young people involved in the sport and to organise sessions in areas that had not previously been targeted. Sessions took place in a variety of venues including housing estates, community halls, local parks, multi-use games areas and mosques.

In it’s first year, the Dynamos Intros project has had an excellent response, providing valuable opportunities for children to be physically active, as well as raising awareness of cricket in new areas and encouraging more children to get involved.

The programme definitely has had a positive impact. 90% of parents confirmed that their children would like to continue their cricket experience. In addition, almost 60% of parents said that playing cricket had improved their children's confidence.

Chris Coleman, Director of Cricket Participation at SCF, said that Dynamos Intros has been an instant hit with the local community, with many participants getting the opportunity to pick up a cricket bat and ball for the first time in their lives. They are delighted to be running it again next year.

He would also like to thank their partners, Sky and the ECB, forcontinued support in helping to deliver this fantastic initiative and push the boundaries of cricket.