Cricketqube Sessions Huge Success at Eothen Homes

The success of our cricket sessions at Eothen Homes was beyond expectations. The sessions, funded by the National Lottery, have helped us to reach more people in need in Newcastle. At our first session, residents who were initially hesitant to participate but then found themselves fully immersed in the game, laughing and cheering alongside their peers.

In the four sessions we have held at Eothen Homes, we had 15 residents participating in each, with the oldest being 103! The sessions fostered a sense of nostalgia for those who had played cricket in their youth while also introducing a new and enjoyable activity for others. Staff members were thrilled to see the residents engaged and animated, forming bonds and creating lasting memories.

The success of our sessions inspired plans for future sports and recreational activities, further enhancing the sense of community and well-being within the care home.

Just after our third session, the residents saw instant progress one of the residents, Dorothy, who has arthritis, told us that when she holds the bat, it reduces the pain as it allows her to move her hands more as she can grip the handle tightly. In her words, “I have noticed when I grip the bat, the pain reduces slightly, and I am able to move my hands and fingers a bit more.”

Whenever we arrived at our session, we saw the participants from the previous week looking forward to the session and excited to carry on from the week before. This shows that residents enjoy our sessions and gives them something to look forward to. We also have regular residents who always think it's too hard and they are not good enough, but once they get going, there is always a smile on their faces, and they really start to enjoy it. We look forward to continuing our sessions at Eothen Homes as we go into our fifth session at the care home; likewise, the residents are more than excited to get going again.