State School Program
The decline of state school cricket nationally in recent years is well-documented, and is reflected in the high proportion of private school pupils at many cricket clubs, including Blackheath.
To help promote cricket in local state schools, and to encourage more state school pupils to join the club, over the past 2 years Blackheath has run a program at several local state schools, including Tillingbourne Junior School, Wonersh & Shamley Green Primary School and St Peter’s Catholic School (a secondary school and sixth form college). In each case, the club provides professional coaches to run coaching sessions either within the school timetable or at an after-school club, free of charge.
In 2027, we will be rolling out the program more widely, funded by donations ring-fenced for that purpose. The scheme will include:
-
Free in-school coaching sessions to any year groups selected by participating schools. At junior schools, the program is broadly based on the Chance to Shine program delivered by Surrey Cricket; at secondary schools, it can be tailored to the school’s requirements. Sessions can be delivered either in the school timetable or in after-school clubs, as the school prefers.
-
Subject to numbers limitations, free places to state school pupils on the club’s own winter coaching programmes.
Any state schools in the Guildford/Cranleigh area who are interested in participating in the scheme should contact the club chairman, Nick Harrison (chairman@blackheathcricket.com). If you would like to make a donation to the funding of the scheme (which can be Gift Aided), contact the club treasurer, Richard Brocksom (treasurer@blackheaathcricket.com).