Celebrating a Year of Family Cricket: Our Journey and Impact

Celebrating a Year of Family Cricket: Our Journey and Impact

On February 28th, 2025, we officially completed our Family Cricket project, a year-long initiative that brought families together through sport, culture, and community. Funded by the North East Combined Authority under the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund, this programme has tremendously impacted families in Newcastle, strengthening intergenerational connections and providing a welcoming space for physical activity.

Expanding to Meet Demand

Originally planned as a regular weekly programme, our sessions grew significantly due to high demand. In the final quarter, we added eight extra sessions during the February half-term, ensuring even more families could participate.

Over the course of the project, 36 families took part, for a total of 102 participants. The ages ranged from two and a half years old to 85, with our oldest participant being a Sudanese grandmother who joined in with enthusiasm, proving that cricket truly is for everyone.

Alosh, the Project Lead, said, "This project has been one of the most rewarding experiences. Seeing families of all backgrounds come together, from young children to grandparents, has been incredible. The demand for sessions exceeded our expectations, showing how much a family-focused approach to sport is needed in our communities."

More Than Just Cricket: Building Community Through Food

A key part of our sessions was celebrating diverse cultures through food. With the help of Hey Food is Ready, we provided home-cooked meals at every session, featuring dishes from Tanzania, Pakistan, India, Portugal, and more. This made the sessions not just about cricket, but about sharing cultures and experiences.

An eight-year-old participant said, "It is a very good place and it is very fun".

Creating Pathways for Volunteers

Beyond the sessions, we also supported 10 volunteers, helping them gain skills and training. This included:

  • Mental Health Support Volunteer – Completed the Mind Mental Health First Aid course

  • Community Cricket Engagement Volunteers – Acted as cultural ambassadors to encourage participation

  • Training & Development – Volunteers went through courses such as:

    • ECB Umpiring Course

    • NSPCC Working with Children with Special Educational Needs

    • Mind Mental Health First Aid

The Impact and What’s Next

This project reinforced the importance of family-friendly, culturally inclusive sports programmes. The combination of sport, community-building, and food created a space where families felt welcomed, engaged, and inspired to continue being active together.

Reflecting on a successful year, we look forward to the next steps. The demand for these sessions has shown a real need for more long-term, sustainable, family-friendly sporting initiatives in Newcastle and beyond. 

Alosh said, "This is just the beginning. We now have a strong community of families who love cricket, and we want to ensure that opportunities for them to stay engaged continue beyond this project. We hope to restart the sessions in the coming months."

Thank you to everyone who participated, volunteered, and supported this initiative. Family Cricket isn’t just about the game—it’s about bringing people together. 

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