30 July 2008

Youngsters from across Surrey will be donning their cricket whites today (Wednesday 30 July) as they attend a special Chance to shine cricket summer camp, thanks to the support of insurance company Allianz.

Surrey & England cricket stars Martin Bicknell & Mark Butcher will join scores of local children taking part in the Allianz Skills Challenge, just one of the many activities on offer at the Surrey Cricket Centre, George Abbott School, Guildford.

During the camp children will be set a number of challenges aimed at testing the core elements of bowling, batting and fielding. They will also need to pass a team skills course to receive their Allianz Skills Challenge certificate.

This is the third year that Allianz has supported Chance to shine - a ten-year drive by registered charity the Cricket Foundation to regenerate competitive cricket in state schools. Since its launch in 2005 the campaign has equipped thousands of children across the UK with essential cricketing skills. This summer alone, around 15,000 boys and girls will take part in similar cricket camps across the country.

Doug Blackman, Property and Casualty Manager at Allianz’s Woking branch, based in Church Street West, said: "Following the success of last year’s events, Allianz decided to sponsor the Chance to shine summer camps again to encourage more kids to play cricket. Chance to shine is not about finding the cricket stars of tomorrow but giving children the benefits of competitive cricket, such as teamwork and increased self-esteem."

Wasim Khan, operations director for Chance to shine, commented: "The Chance to shine skills camps bring local children together to learn new skills, develop interests and have fun at the same time. We’re delighted to have the support of Allianz who have made the delivery of these camps possible."

For more information on the Chance to shine visit www.chancetoshine.org

Chance To Shine