A NEW walking cricket group has started for women in Bradford, aiming to improve their health and wellbeing.
The new initiative – launched by Dream Big, Aim High Cic, Yorkshire Cricket Foundation (YCF) and u3a – saw more than 20 women take part in a free taster session at Girlington Community Centre on Wednesday.
Walking Cricket - an adaptation of the traditional game - was developed in 2019 by u3a, an organisation supporting older people. It has already been a hit across Yorkshire, including in Leeds, Wakefield and Barnsley.
Councillor Fozia Shaheen, of the Toller ward, who is leading the sessions, said: “It’s amazing to see so many women from different backgrounds and cultures under one roof, and this has all been possible thanks to organisations working together, to achieve amazing things in the community.
“The atmosphere has been magical, and it’s supporting physical health as well as mental health.
“Due to the pandemic, a lot of women have spent a lot of time indoors, and this is giving them that safe space where they can actually be themselves, play and enjoy.”
Cllr Shaheen, who is also the founder of Dream Big, Aim High and a Level 2 qualified cricket coach, added: “It’s not only about the game, it’s also about the social side as well.
“It’s about making friends – after each session there is a little tea break where they get to talk."
Jamshad Sehgal, 61, a community health worker from the Girlington Centre, added: “I think the sessions are fantastic – cricket is a game very important in our South Asian culture, but some of these women have never held a bat in their lives.
“But now they have, and they were brilliant at it.
“We’ve had a range of ages – 30 up to 70. The older ladies left their walking sticks and even if they couldn’t take part, they were sat in their chairs, clapping and forgetting their problems."
Mac McKechnie, founder of walking cricket in Yorkshire, who umpired the session, said: “I certainly hope for Bradford that walking cricket gets established across the city in different groups and different communities, because I saw a lot of enjoyment today.”
Kendal James, Participation Manager for the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation, also said: “This has been a pioneering moment for walking cricket, and we are delighted after three years to finally be able to take walking cricket into the new city of culture, Bradford.”
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