Kent Cricket Board has announced that in addition to the £0.5m investment into Primary schools to 2015, a further £170,000 will be made available to deliver Community Sports Clubs in conjunction with Chance to Shine and Sport England, within Secondary Schools in Kent.

Clubs will be set up within identified schools, particularly aiming at young people within the 11-16 year group. The objective of the project is to encourage young people to engage in club cricket within a familiar environment, such as their school, as often a step from school sport, to club participation, can be a daunting prospect.

Within the Club, young people will have the opportunity to participate in competitive cricket, develop their cricket knowledge and socialise with their peers, creating a club ethos.

It is hoped that this initiative will increase the retention of young people in sport and provide a robust, cohesive link between schools and club cricket; further to this they will have the opportunity to gain leadership and organisational skills with vital life skills.

Andy Griffiths, Cricket Development Manager at KCB, said: “Our involvement in Chance to Shine has been fantastic so far. We have seen an increase in the number of young players attending Kent clubs as a direct result of Kent Cricket Board coaching in schools. However, at an older age there is a drop off within sport. This additional investment into Secondary Schools will help to address this issue.”

“We aim to increase the number of young people joining local clubs; to increase competitive cricket opportunities in schools and have more people gaining new knowledge and skills through cricket.”