Young cricketers take part in inclusive sports event

York St John University has teamed up with a leading youth cricket and disability sports charity to host a cricket event for young people with learning disabilities.

Young cricketers from Yorkshire and Lancashire took part in an event jointly organised by York St John University and Lord Taverners, the UK’s leading youth cricket and disability sports charity. The event was held at the University's Haxby Road Sports Centre as part of an activity to showcase inclusive sport.

More than 20 young people attended on the day and participated in the all-day ‘Unity of the Roses’ event, which included learning about the benefits of sport, a healthy eating session hosted by the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation, and finally getting to grips with the basics of the game in a series of friendly matches. Unity of the Roses is an annual occasion, which brings together hubs from both Yorkshire and Lancashire to showcase inclusive cricket.

The young cricketers were participants in Lord Taverners’ Super 1s programme, which offers young people with disabilities the chance to play cricket and aims to develop the physical and mental wellbeing of the players.

Becky Scott, Head of YSJ Active at York St John University said:

“Prior to the pandemic we hosted the inaugural Unity of the Roses at our Haxby Road Sports Centre and so we were delighted to invite Yorkshire Cricket Board and Lord Taverners back to host another successful event with these young people.

“We're proud of our inclusive values at York St John and strive to ensure that everyone has equal opportunities to participate in sport. We are looking forward to our counterparts in Lancashire hosting next year’s event.”

Rohan Randhawa, Disability Development Manager & CTC Project Lead at Yorkshire Cricket Board added:

“Events like these offer young people aged 12-25 fun opportunities to play sport in an inclusive and supportive environment. My thanks to York St John University for their continued support of the programme and Lord Taverners for the vital funding for this worthwhile activity and for enabling these young people to learn about the physical and mental benefits of sport whilst making new friends.”

Find out more about YSJ Active at York St John University.