Steven Finn

ICC Cricket World Cup and Chance to Shine to engage schools across the country

Steven Finn
  • In partnership with the ECB, World Cup Schoolsprogramme launched
  • All schools can apply to be part of the programme from Thursday 5 July via the*Chance to Shine Portal*to receive access to free school resources and prizes ahead of their full release in September
  • World Cup Schools**is a core pillar of the CWC19 legacy to grow and diversify the game in England and Wales through the ICC’s pinnacle 50-over tournament
  • The programme will expand the reach, relevance and scale of cricket within primary schools using the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 as an amplifier of the great work currently being done to deliver cricket in primary schools

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 today [Thursday 5 July] entered into a partnership with the children’s cricket charity Chance to Shine and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to deliver a World Cup Schools programme centred around next year’s flagship tournament.

The partnership – that will run from 20 September 2018 until August 2019 - will see the expertise of Chance to Shine and the ECB embrace the excitement of the ICC Cricket World Cup to transform cricket in schools around the country.

Every school in England and Wales will have the opportunity to engage with the ICC Cricket World Cup, through free classroom resources and fun playground activities. The programme will be underpinned by important teacher support and ‘money can’t buy’ opportunities throughout the tournament.

In the classroom, the World Cup Schools programme will deliver six half-term projects throughout the school year to educate pupils in a fun and exciting way through the ICC Cricket World Cup. After the excitement of learning about the tournament in the classroom, schools from across the country will be encouraged to play cricket through fun and engaging participation activities.

All schools that sign up to the teachers’ portal will gain access to unique rewards and prizes. This will include tickets to World Cup matches in their local area, fantastic match-day experiences, visits by the World Cup trophy and ambassadors, and much more.

Steve Elworthy, Managing Director of ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, said: “We are extremely excited about this partnership and the opportunity to work with the ECB and the outstanding Chance to Shine, to engage with schools and young people across the country around the Cricket World Cup.

“The ICC Cricket World Cup is one of the largest sporting events in the world and, therefore, offers a once-in-a-generation chance for schools to get involved and ensure that more young people have the opportunity to play cricket in this country.”

Chris Tetley, ICC Head of Events said: “The World Cup Schools programme is an incredibly exciting prospect, and we fully support the partnership between the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, Chance to Shineand the ECB.

“Cricket for Good activities have always sat at the heart of ICC Events, and the schools programme will be the flagship community activity for 2019. We encourage as many schools as possible to get involved with the programme, learn about the Cricket World Cup and be part of the celebration of cricket next summer.

“There were some brilliant activities in schools throughout the summer of 2017, so we have a great platform to build on for 2019. Using the Chance to Shine teacher portal also makes the programme relevant internationally, and through the ICC Development offices and participating nations we will encourage schools to partner and make the World Cup and the schools programme an international carnival of cricket”

Laura Cordingley, CEO of Chance to Shine, said: “An ICC Cricket World Cup on home soil is a unique opportunity to inspire hundreds of thousands of children and young people to play and learn through the fantastic game of cricket.

“We are delighted that Chance to Shine will be working in partnership with ICC and ECB to develop a World Cup Schools programme which builds on our work in the playgrounds and classrooms of thousands of state schools across England and Wales.

“We will jointly develop special ICC Cricket World Cup 2019-themed digital resources for our existing schools’ portal to help engage and inspire schoolchildren as well as, develop key life skills - like resilience and respect - and ensure a lasting legacy from this exciting global tournament.”

World Cup Schools will be hosted on the existing Chance to Shine teachers’ portal, ensuring that all schools in England & Wales can access the brilliant World Cup resources, projects and competitions – for free. The first resources will become available from 20 September 2018, with new and relevant content being added every term as the programme builds towards the ICC Cricket World Cup.

Applications for the ‘World Cup Schools’ programme open today (Thursday 5 July) and teachers can apply via Chance to Shine Portal.