Durham Cricket welcomed more than 600 children from schools across the region to Banks Homes Riverside for a memorable Schools Day, combining top-class sport with engaging health, wellbeing and educational activities.
The event gave pupils the opportunity to experience first-class cricket firsthand as County Championship table-toppers Durham took on Northamptonshire in front of a packed and enthusiastic young audience.
Alongside the on-field action, children participated in a wide range of interactive sessions focused on health, fitness and wellbeing, delivered by Durham Cricket and its partners.
The Durham Cricket Foundation supported the day, operating the club’s popular Everyone Active Family Zone. The area featured a variety of cricket-themed games and activities designed to be both fun and educational, helping children develop motor skills while learning key aspects of the game.
The Foundation also delivered a creative cricket crafts session, supported by staff and volunteers, where children designed and made their own cricket-themed keyrings and bookmarks to take home as keepsakes of the day.
Durham Cricket’s catering partner, Thomas Franks, delivered a series of hands-on nutrition and healthy eating workshops, helping children understand the importance of making positive food and hydration choices. Sessions included:
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Hydration workshops, where pupils learned how to create healthy energy drinks.
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Nutrition sessions focused on making overnight oats and protein balls.
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Interactive smoothie bike activities, where children pedalled a specially adapted bike to blend their own healthy smoothies.
The day was also supported by one of the clubs key sponsors Aztec Colour Print who also provided all the printed materials to make the event possible.
Durham Cricket Chief Executive Tim Bostock said: “We were delighted to welcome so many children from schools across the region to Banks Homes Riverside. Days like this help us create the next generation of cricket fans by giving young people the opportunity to experience live professional sport, many of whom may never have attended a match before.
“It’s also a fantastic opportunity to use cricket as a catalyst for promoting health, wellbeing and active lifestyles. Most importantly, it provides children and teachers with a fun and memorable day out, and it was wonderful to see so much enthusiasm and engagement throughout the day.”
The Schools Day was a huge success, with positive feedback received from pupils, teachers and partners alike. Durham Cricket is already planning to repeat the event in 2027 and hopes to welcome even more schools to Banks Homes Riverside.
Schools interested in attending future Schools Days can register their interest below.