Group - EKC Schools Trust pupils visit Kent Cricket
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EKC Schools Trust pupils visit Kent Cricket

Pupils from EKC Group’s sister Multi-Academy Trust have had an exciting day out, trying their hands at cricket.

All six primary schools comprising the EKC Schools Trust were invited to bring learners to the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, where they were coached by players and staff from Kent Cricket.

The day was the latest collaboration organised to recognise the recently inked community partnership between the club and EKC Group. The formal association is creating opportunities for students to engage in more active lifestyles, opening access to cricket, and nurturing a new generation of top-class players.

This outing saw pupils engaging in cricket-related activities, being taught the rules of the sport, and getting to grips with bats.

It was also a chance for the six primary schools of EKC Schools Trust to meet each other and have fun together. The schools taking part were: Briary Primary School, Herne Bay; Bysing Wood Primary School, Faversham; Holywell Primary School, Sittingbourne; Queenborough Primary School and Nursery, Sheppey; Palm Bay Primary, Cliftonville; and East Stour Primary, Ashford.

A competition held on the day was won by the pupils from Queenborough Primary School, with their reward being to act as the Guard of Honour for England’s Women’s team in their match against India.

EKC Group’s Chief Executive Officer, Graham Razey OBE, was also in attendance, and praised the club and pupils for their efforts during the day.

He said: “EKC Group is proud to become a community partner of Kent Cricket’s. Our two organisations share similar values, we’re inclusive organisations that absolutely want to get young people participating in activity and engaged in sport. Particularly with cricket, we’re trying to make sure that the future of the game is bright and fully inclusive of all communities in the East Kent region.”

To recognise the partnership with the wider Group, Canterbury College students were also on hand over the course of the day to assist the Kent Cricket coaches.

The College’s Principal Victoria Copp-Crawley attended the session, saying afterward: “Our sports students have a great education with the programme they study at Canterbury College, but working with professionals, working with young people, really develops their leadership skills.

“The setting enabled them to apply those skills, which is fantastic for them, and allows them to learn new things about the sport while promoting their leadership development.”

Andy Griffiths, Director of Partnerships at Kent Cricket, said: “It’s been such a great event to really launch the partnership with EKC Group. To see six schools with 60 young people running around is exactly what we do, it’s what we epitomise.

“Recreational cricket is everything we’re about, raising standards on and off the pitch, and trying to grow participation. So to get 60 pupils down here and participating so enthusiastically is absolutely fantastic.”