Capital Kids Cricket to stage a two-day festival at Lord's

Two hundred and sixty inner London schoolchildren are to have the thrill of playing on the hallowed turf of the world's most famous cricket ground.

A two-day Festival on the main arena at Lord's is to be staged on Monday and Tuesday, June 16 and 17, by Capital Kids Cricket, a charity committed to restoring the teaching of cricket to the state schools of inner London, in conjunction with MCC and supported by The Lord's Taverners.

Inner London's 800 primary and 200 secondary schools house half a million children at any one time and it will be the first time that representatives of this massive reservoir of future potential have been invited to hone their skills in such inspirational surroundings.

The Festival will begin on the Monday with about 150 Under-11 boys and girls from twelve primary schools rotating between eight stations around the ground, being taught by leading coaches, playing mini-matches and being taken on guided tours of the NatWest Media Centre and the England dressing rooms.

The four-hour programme, from 10.30 am to 2.30 pm, will be repeated on the Tuesday for a similar number of Under-13 boys and girls from twelve secondary schools in the same 16 inner London boroughs.

Highlights of both days will include fast and spin bowling competitions for trophies given by The Lord's Taverners, MCC trophies for best batting and Ribena fielding awards.

Although it is no longer the game's international governing body, MCC is still among the world's biggest clubs, with 1,500 playing members taking part in 450 matches every year and is widely known for promoting "The Spirit of Cricket."

Since its foundation in 1950, The Lord's Taverners has distributed over £30m to schools, sports clubs and special needs organisations in its mission to "give young people a sporting chance." Last year alone it distributed more than a thousand cricket equipment bags, £750,000 in grant aid and more than £250,000 towards the installation of artificial pitches.

Capital Kids Cricket, a registered charity, was formed 12 years ago when a survey revealed that England's national summer sport, even in its simplest form, had vanished from the curriculum of all but about two dozen of inner London's 800 primary schools.

Throughout Britain the situation in state schools was equally dire, but elsewhere in the country even city-centre children had nearby town or village clubs on hand to provide coaching and playing opportunities. Inner London boys and girls are many miles beyond the reach of any such safety net and, denied cricket tuition at school, would probably be lost to the game forever. With a high proportion living in large and often run-down housing estates with few outlets for youthful energy, both society and the future of cricket were the losers.

With financial support from The Lord's Taverners, The Foundation for Sports and the Arts and many smaller benefactors, CKC has since masterminded such a remarkable recovery that cricket is now being taught in more than 700 of those 800 primary schools and a fast-expanding proportion of the same region's 250 secondary schools.

"Lord's may be only a few miles from where they live but it could be in another world so far as most inner London boys and girls are concerned," says former prime minister John Major, non-playing captain of the Capital Kids Cricket Club.

"The opportunity to be coached and to play on one of the world's most famous cricket grounds will be an unforgettable experience and one which will hopefully enthuse other children to play or practice cricket during and out of school hours.

"I have always believed that if young energies are channelled in this way, it leads to better and healthier lives, not just for the young but for their families and their community as a whole. I wish the Lord's Cricket Festival every success."

Six reconstructed cricket pitches and a circular pavilion in the heart of Regent's Park, London, commissioned by The Royal Parks as part of a £5,500,000 project and planned to be ready for use by the start of the 2005 season, have been designated as the first headquarters of Capital Kids Cricket. A plaque, which will be displayed on the new pavilion, was unveiled last month by Mr Major.

Capital Kids Cricket Club, with a membership rapidly approaching 500 London schoolchildren, offers activities outside school hours, up-to-date guidance on nearest outdoor and indoor playing facilities and regular editions of its newspaper. And the charity's fund-raising arm, The London Heavy Rollers Club, has former West Indies captain, Clive Lloyd, as its honorary Head groundsman, and a distinguished groundstaff which includes fifteen former England test captains.

"I am delighted that MCC is able to play host to 200 local youngsters from Capital Kids Cricket," says Sir Tim Rice, MCC President and member of both The Lord's Taverners and the London Heavy Rollers Club. "Good luck to everyone involved - and, above all, I hope the children enjoy the occasion!"