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, in 2025 Blackheath ran a pilot program at 2 local state schools, Tillingbourne Junior School in Chilworth and St Peter’s Catholic School (a secondary school and sixth form college) in Guildford, providing professional club coaches to run coaching sessions at both schools within the school timetable.
In 2026, after discussion with Surrey Cricket, we will be rolling out the program more widely, funded by donations ring-fenced for that purpose. The scheme will include:
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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. Either way, sessions will be delivered in the school timetable to year groups/classes and on dates convenient to the school.
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Subject to numbers limitations, free places to state school pupils on the club’s own winter coaching programmes, on Friday evenings at Cranleigh School in Cranleigh (for older players) and Longacre School in Shamley Green (for younger ones).
Any state schools in the Guildford/Cranleigh area who are interested in participating in the scheme should contact the club chairman, Nick Harrison (nharrison@serlecourt.co.uk). 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 (richardbrocksom@btinternet.com).