Last year saw a steady growth for Durham Cricket Foundation, with the charity expanding its flagship “50 Not Out” project, developing its partnership with the Great North Children’s Hospital and launching several new projects alongside new partners.
50 Not Out
Following a pause during the pandemic, the Foundation restarted its “50 Not Out” Programme in May and throughout the year trebled its classes and sessions, with walking cricket expanding to three venues across the county.
The “50 Not Out” project aims to improve the physical and mental wellbeing of people over 50 and reduce isolation for adults, all through providing opportunities to engage in free sessions.
“50 Not Out” relaunched with two strands of the programme – “Active Minds”, offering arts and crafts-based activities, and “Active Bodies”, focusing on a wide range of active cricket-themed sessions.
As part of “Active Bodies”, the Foundation was delivering three cricket-themed weekly sessions at the Riverside throughout the summer – Cricket Olympics, Keep-Fit Cricket and Walking Cricket, with the latter expanding to three venues across the county.
With the support of Everyone Active, Believe Housing, Go North East, the Foundation was able to continue its walking cricket sessions indoors beyond the season, with weekly sessions taking place at Peterlee, Washington and Willington.
In the space of six months, the “Active Bodies” strand of “50 Not Out” trebled its reach with walking cricket expanding from one hub at the Riverside to three by October.
As part of the second strand of the project – “Active Minds” – Durham Cricket Foundation ran Embroidery and Glass Painting classes for people over 50.
Proving popular very quickly, the classes have been running since the summer and on a weekly basis bring together three groups of participants.
Starting with one regular embroidery class, the delivery of the “Active Minds” strand of the programmes has also trebled, with the charity now running two embroidery classes and one glass painting session.
Work with the Great North Children’s Hospital
The 2021/22 academic year marked the second year of a joint project with the Great North Children’s Hospital, delivering a sports and educational programme at the Newcastle Bridges School.
After a successful first year in 2020/21, Durham Cricket Foundation and the Great North Children’s Hospital expanded the project from one day per week last year to two days per week in the current academic year.
The Foundation is delivering sport as a teaching and communication tool in conjunction with the teaching staff at the Hospital, with the project helping children become more active, where possible, while delivering personal outcomes to students.
To help bring the session to twice as many patients, six runners took part in the Great North Run in aid of the project.
Foundation Manager Liam Simpson was joined by Foundation Development Officer Jack Warren, Cricket Development Officer Darren Brown and Foundation supporters Paul Iredale, Jade Simpson and Lynne Paterson completed the 13.1-mile course.
The runners raised the impressive amount of £2,298 in the 40th Great North Run, with the funds going towards the Foundation’s work with long-term patients at the Newcastle Bridges School.
Work with Karbon Homes
Last year, Durham Foundation partnered with Karbon Homes to deliver an £18,000 project to residents living in the housing association’s Retirement Living schemes across North Durham.
This community engagement project, funded through Karbon’s community grants fund, expands on the Foundation’s work around mental and physical health of people over 50, through the delivery of arts and crafts classes and cricket-themes sessions to Karbon’s residents.
Work with Sporting Force
In April, the Foundation partnered with veterans’ charity Sporting Force to deliver a year-long mental health and support programme for ex-military personnel and their families.
The programme, funded by The Veterans’ Foundation, supports the Armed Forces community in the North East to gain confidence through cricket, helping them become more active, physically and mentally fitter as well as reduce social isolation.
For its durations, the project will improve the health and wellbeing of up to 200 veterans and family members through a number of activities, including sports sessions, social events and support drop-in sessions.