Pupils at a Shropshire Primary School have been bowled over after a generous donation of cricket equipment from a local cricket club.Rushbury Primary School has received the surplus equipment from Church Stretton Cricket Club – which is celebrating its centenary year this season.
It comes as part of an effort by the club to increase junior participation in the sport, including the ECB’s All Stars and Dynamos programmes which are currently being held at its Russell’s Meadow ground.
Steve Morris, Headteacher at Rushbury Primary School – which is also marking a landmark year this year by way of its bi-centenary, said: “We’re delighted to receive this generous donation from Church Stretton Cricket Club.
“Pupils will now be able to focus on practising their cricket skills and enjoy what is very much our Summer sport.
“I’d like to thank everyone at Church Stretton Cricket Club for thinking of us when donating this kit and I wish them well in their centenary season.”Andy Dixon, Vice-Chairman of Church Stretton Cricket Club, said getting youngsters involved with the club was one of the main aims during the centenary year.
He added: “I was really pleased to be able to present Steve with the equipment, which is surplus from our successful All Stars and Dynamos courses.
“We want to make Church Stretton Cricket Club somewhere that youngsters in the area want to come and learn the skills of the game and working with local schools is very much the way to achieve this.“I hope the equipment proves popular and who knows, we might even find the next England superstar coming from Rushbury Primary School!”
Cricket Shropshire’s Director of Schools and Youth Cricket Sacha Lee said: “This is a fabulous idea and great work by Church Stretton. Hopefully other clubs can follow suit.
“We did suggest to clubs recently that they could donate any spare kit they may have to schools, and this a great example of that.
“There is a shortage of cricket equipment in some schools. If any other clubs have spare kit, they can either arrange to donate it to a local school themselves, or get in touch with the Board and we can help them find a suitable recipient.” Clubs can email the Board via
admin@shropshirecricketboard.co.uk Church Stretton Cricket Club is still facilitating the All Stars and Dynamos programmes for those aged between 5 and 11. To find out more,
CLICK HERE and search for Church Stretton.
The club will also be hosting its first Shropshire Dynamos festival on July 11.
Pictured: Steve Morris, Headteacher of Rushbury Primary School (left), with Andy Dixon, Vice-Chairman of Church Stretton Cricket Club.