n  To attract children to participate in community cricket

n  To assist schools with the provision of community cricket in an inclusive environment

n  To encourage participation into adulthood either as players, coaches, umpires or volunteer administrators

n  To raise funds to support the provision of community cricket

n  Through the provision of community cricket to promote the development of fitness health, social tolerance, inclusion, team-work and personal life-skills.

n  To encourage through cooperation with local statutory authorities, voluntary organisations, Cricket Scotland and communities a common effort to advance provision of inclusive recreation and other leisure-time activities.

Drugs misuse: 7% of 13 year olds and 28% of 15 year olds had used drugs in month prior to survey [SALSUS 2002].

Overweight is a problem in 43% males and 32% females and 1 in 5 suffer from obesity.

9% of the Stirlingshire population has been admitted to hospital with coronary heart disease.

Most school children take too little exercise, 71% of children are taking less than the minimum recommended daily exercise.

The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2004 classifies parts of the Stirlingshire area are among the most deprived in Scotland.

Population is 183,000 of which 53% female and 47% male.

The area across to 300,000 acres comprising rural and urban environments

Ages 5 to 25 year olds are 35% of the population, around 64,000

There are 49 schools throughout the area.

Improved community safety

Community rugby programmes operating in Perthshire and West Edinburgh are proving popular with youngsters, 70% of children are participating at least once. This level of participation is providing an effective recreational diversion to boredom, exclusion and associated problems of substance abuse and other related anti-social behaviour. These programmes are judged to be making a positive contribution to improved community safety. [Source: Scottish Executive, Local Authority]

Improved health

90% of the children that were tested after participating in the programme for 6 weeks gained a significant improvement in fitness. Four out of five felt good about feeling fitter and wanted to maintain their condition.

Increased volunteering

Communities report a significant increase in the number of adults and young people entering volunteering following the introduction of community sports programmes.

Cricket is an inclusive sport with no barriers to participation as a result of age, gender, physical attributes, previous experience or socio-economic background. The game is suited to a wide range of talents and encourages the acquisition of skills more than most other sports.
The game is suitable for indoors and outdoors as well as being adaptable to almost any size of venue.
Participants do not require expensive specialized personal equipment. Also cricket can be enjoyed without specialized facilities or team equipment.

Consequently cricket is an ideal low-cost community social recreation that is popular with young people and adults.

The provision of cricket is controlled and governed by Cricket Scotland and has strict Child Protection procedures and safety codes.

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The Trust will raise the funds required to recruit, appoint and equip a Development Officer to achieve the Trust’s stated aims. The Community Development Officer will be accountable to the Trustees for the delivery of the Trust’s aims.

The Community Development Officer will be a qualified cricket coach and be Enhanced Scotland Disclosure approved.

It is anticipated that the initially the post will be fulfilled on a part-time basis by a volunteer community coach. Once sufficient funding becomes available it is the Trustee’s intention to employ a Community Development Officer on a full-time basis.

Part of the Development Officer’s role will be to recruit and train volunteer coaches, from 16 years of age upwards, to a level that will enable them to become qualified and accredited under Cricket Scotland licence.

During school

Community development team will promote cricket-based activities during school hours to secondary and primary aged children. The Cricket Community Development Officer will work in partnership with Education Authority PE teachers, Active Schools Coordinators and Cricket Scotland.

The objective is to provide as many children as possible with “taster sessions”.

After school

During term time the Community development team will organize and run “Lunch Clubs” and “After School Clubs” based on cricket related activities.

Cricket Camps

During school holidays the cricket development team will promote and offer “Cricket Day Camps” that will be age grade based.

Centre of Excellence

The Centre of Excellence will cater for the personal development needs of young people who having tried cricket would like to progress further. The Centre will be run by the community development team with assistance from qualified volunteers to provide a structured framework for personal skills development, team work and fitness.

The Trust will promote and provide funding for adults and young people who wish to qualify as Coaches under the Cricket Scotland Coach education scheme.

The Trust will offer sponsorship to 17 year old school leavers who wish to qualify as Community Cricket Coaches under a community coaching and learning SVQ course.