npower Urban Cricket Facility in Brixton Visited by Ravi Bopora and Charlotte Edwards
npowers Urban Cricket Facility in Brixton was visited by Ravi Bopora and Charlotte Edwards who got in some extra batting practice ahead of the 2009 Ashes


WORCESTER, ENGLAND, June 24, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The npower Urban Cricket facility in Brixton was visited by England batsman Ravi Bopara and Charlotte Edwards, Captain of the England Women's Cricket Team, where they were joined by forty youngsters for a game of Urban Cricket in Brixton, London.

Ravi and Charlotte were visiting the npower Urban Cricket facility in Wyck Gardens, which was officially opened in August 2007 as part of the grassroots Urban Cricket initiative, to pass on tips and advice to a group of local primary school children who use the facility to practice playing.

The facility, which transformed a disused area of the park, was the first of five purpose-built facilities to be opened across the country as part of the Urban Cricket initiative. Since its opening, the London Borough of Lambeth, working in partnership with Surrey County Cricket Club, regularly use the facility to run coaching programmes for local primary schools to encourage children to lead more active lifestyles. The facility is also open to the local community to use at any time. Over 1,000 children, young people and adults have benefited from the facility and the associated coaching that goes with the programme.

Ravi Bopara said: "It's great to be in Wyck Gardens to see how npower Urban Cricket is working. Judging by some of the children I've seen here today the scheme is really making a difference. There was lots of energy, not to mention some decent little cricketers who weren't afraid to bang it in to me. It's great to see kids getting stuck in and enjoying themselves."

Charlotte Edwards commented: "It's fantastic to see initiatives such as npower Urban Cricket giving youngsters the chance to learn the game."

George Foster, CSR and Fundraising Manager at Surrey County Cricket Club, commented:

"The npower Urban Cricket facility has really benefited the area since it was opened two years ago. We use the facility on a weekly basis to try and introduce local children to cricket and encourage them to get out there and play. Facilities like these are a great way of developing a legacy for the game and allowing children in the area to practice their skills in a safe environment."

npower Urban Cricket, a grassroots project run in conjunction with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), was launched in 2006 with one clear goal - to get more children playing. Since its launch, npower and the ECB have distributed over 60,000 Urban Cricket kits to children in the UK. The scheme plans to distribute a further 10,000 kits in the summer of 2009. The scheme has also been responsible for the development of five purpose built facilities across the UK at sites in London, Sheffield, Birmingham, Nottingham and Manchester.

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