WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Each year we see many young people regularly accessing and benefitting from our programmes. Some are new, many have been part of our programmes for years. While our Impact Report only highlights the stories of a few individuals, every one of our participants has their own ongoing story to tell.
Here, we revisit the stories of five individuals who have featured in this report previously and tell you about how they’ve developed personally in the past year.
JAMES
GRACE
In January 2020 Grace completed her many years of treatment for Leukaemia. But devastatingly, within two months of receiving such a major boost, she was having to shield due to Covid. When she was ill, Wicketz helped her. At a time when it was easy to feel isolated and alone, she had a new support network, friends and a sport she loved and always looked forward to playing.
The restrictions and isolation of lockdown were difficult but Grace is now enjoying playing cricket again with her friends. Her mum tells us what Wicketz does for Grace: “It gives her escapism, a challenge, a release, time with friends. I love seeing the smile on her face when she is playing, you can see the happiness.”
SARAH
Sarah has gone from being inexperienced and unconfident to becoming a key part, not only of our Super 1s Oldham hub, but also the Lancashire’s Super 9s county team. She is increasingly taking on responsibilities within her team and is now undertaking a Level 1 coach support qualification which will help her develop her team and her future. Her mum says that Super 1s has supported Sarah to overcome the many challenges her disability presents her with, which has hugely increased her confidence and self-esteem.
Sarah herself says: “I wanted to take the next step and get involved with coaching and supporting others with disabilities, like myself. I want to help grow their confidence and encourage them to socialise because I know how great it feels and the benefit it can have on their life. Cricket has really helped me and now I want to give back.
“I recently passed my ECB Support Coach course to do that – wow, that was a big moment! I was dead nervous. It took me quite a few attempts to do it but after lots of zoom calls with Amlyn (Lancashire Super 1s Development Officer), I passed.
“To anyone out there considering going to a Super 1s hub, without hesitation I’d say go along, socialise, be open to making friends and use the supportive community to build up your confidence, just like I have. It doesn’t matter if you do or don’t live with a disability, cricket will support you and help in ways you couldn’t have previously imagined.”
EMMANUEL
Emmanuel, who has been with our Wicketz project in Glasgow since 2018, has now become one of our young leaders, conscientiously supporting his coach and team. From being a boy who didn’t take school or responsibilities seriously, he has developed into a role model for his peers, with a wide range of friends.
He studies hard at school and has taken the lessons on leadership and the importance of a healthy lifestyle he has learned through Wicketz on board. During lockdown Emmanuel received a donated laptop through Wicketz in recognition of his regular participation and leadership in the group. This helped him and his siblings access remote schooling during lockdowns. Both Emmanuel’s parents have become involved with Wicketz too and the family are enjoying socialising with the wide range of people involved in the Glasgow project.
UMAR
Umar, who was a young leader with Wicketz in Crawley, was supported and encouraged by a range of organisations and people, including Wicketz, to achieve his dream of going to Cambridge University.
Initially, going to Cambridge University was a culture shock – Umar said he felt like a bit of an imposter to begin with but is now enjoying the new challenges and experiences of his life in Cambridge: “I was born and raised in Crawley so Crawley was all I ever really knew until moving out to university. Once I moved out I felt a bit out of my depth when I got there. But luckily daily phone calls with the family made it a lot easier and now I feel I’ve settled into the community there.
“Growing up in Crawley, obviously nothing is smooth or plain sailing but you get used to it and start falling in love with the town, the people and the community so moving away was a bit of a shock. But life is all about progressing and going to the next stage, so I think my school, my family, Wicketz and Sussex Cricket all helped me prepare for the next step.”