The Yorkshire Cricket Foundation (YCF) have come together with the Yorkshire Cricket Board (YCB) and The Yorkshire County Cricket Club (YCCC) to support HALO, a learning disability service provided by Beeston’s community centre, Hamara.
HALO has been running at Hamara since 2010, with cricket training taking place every Monday. The sessions, which cater for anyone over the age of 18 with a registered learning difficulty, promote a relaxed environment allowing participants to socialise and take part in a range of cricket-related activities.
Chris, from Beeston, who has learning difficulties, has been attending the Halo project every Monday morning for four years and absolutely loves cricket.
As part of the YCF’s diverse community work, the foundation have focused on building relationships with existing groups in Leeds, establishing needs of different communities and creating opportunities based on these. With this as a main focus, and to lead in the progression and development of the sessions, the YCF have provided cricket equipment for the HALO group to use and YCB have funded Chris to go on a level 1 coaching course in February so he can be a qualified coach.
Charlie Roebuck, a Disability Community Cricket Officer, said: “Chris will benefit on a personal level, increasing his key skills and allowing him to take a lead in the organisation through the delivery of cricket. Cricket is a passion of his and through the work YCF have done, we identified him as a potential coach.
“Disability cricket needs coaches who sympathise with the disabilities on show. The understanding is something in which a non-disabled person will never know. Chris shows outstanding knowledge and understanding of the game of cricket as well as the participants needs. Enhancing his game-based learning and key cricket skills can only push him forward into further employable opportunities. Chris would have no problem working in the cricketing coaching world and I would be happy to have him in my team.”
