Cricket Power Draws Youngsters To Street20 Inner City Finals

Cricket Power Draws Youngsters To Street20 Inner City Finals

The Lord's Taverners Cricket for Change programme comes to London this Thursday (12th April)

©Lord's Taverners

The Lord's Taverners Cricket for Change programme comes to London this Thursday (April 12th) for the annual Street20 National Finals, the youth cricket initiative which aims to transform the lives of youngsters living in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the UK.

The Street20s Finals brings together the top 20 inner-city teams from all over the country, including Basildon, Brighton, Bristol, Crawley, Colchester, Hastings, Newcastle, Nottingham, Portsmouth, Reading and Southend this Thursday at the "Play on Sport" arena, Preston Road, Canary Wharf in this unique, fast and engaging form of cricket.

These finals are the pinnacle of a much bigger Lord’s Taverners Cricket for Change programme, working with local community groups to provide a year-round programme of youth work including civic responsibility, social inclusion and education.

"It's amazing to see the impact sport - and in particular street20 - can have on young people," said Matthew Patten, the chief executive of the Lord's Taverners, last night. “It offers them the opportunity to engage with their peers and represent their home cities in a national competition. Our aim is to create a meaningful pathway for them to use sport as a vehicle to change their lives and lifestyle."

Prior to the Finals at noon, the teams will attend a "Drug Awareness Workshop" delivered by Paul Hannaford, who will speak candidly about his experiences of being in a gang and taking drugs - www.paulhannaford.com.

'The Lord’s Taverners Cricket for Change Programme' uses a super-short form of cricket ('Street20') to engage youngsters on the streets of some of the UK’s most deprived communities.