On Tuesday 27th March the Sports Development Unit, in conjunction with the Isle of Man Cricket Development Officer, facilitated a Disability Kwik Cricket Festival to over 40 children at the National Sports Centre. Children from all 5 secondary special educational need units (SEN Units) competed and socialised with other children from across the Island.
Gareth Dawson, the Cricket Development Officer commented ‘The provision for cricket continues to grow for all ages and abilities, with this latest Kwik Cricket Festival. The students have learnt new skills over the last three weeks, which has culminated in this festival. Each student has improved over the last few weeks and this improvement has been highlighted in the way they performed in the festival. Throughout, they have played with a smile on their face and have enjoyed the challenges of a new sport. Enjoyment and inclusiveness are the main objectives that we set out to achieve.’
Children had the opportunity to take part in a variety of Kwik Cricket activities such as target throwing, bowling, straight drive and pull shot batting activities, catching and kwik cricket games.
Prior to the Kwik Cricket Festival, the Disability and Cricket Development Officer facilitated a series of Kwik Cricket training sessions to all secondary school SEN Units across the Island. Children learnt a variety of Kwik Cricket skills such as batting, fielding, throwing, bowling and catching in preparation for the activities that took place in the festival.
Barclays Wealth has been working with the Department of Community, Culture and Leisure’s Sports Development Unit to help develop and increase the number of sporting opportunities available for all children with disabilities. Through the work of the Disability Sports Development Officer and the continued support from Barclays Wealth, additional sporting festivals like this Kwik Cricket festival can now been facilitated.
The donation received from Barclays Wealth allowed the Sports Development Unit to purchase a range of new Kwik Cricket sporting equipment suitable for a wide range of children’s needs and abilities. This ensured that the kwik cricket festival and the weekly training sessions were made fully inclusive to all children. This donation also ensured that all children received a medal and certificate for all their achievements; during the day and throughout the weekly training sessions.
In partnership with the Department of Education and Children, Kwik Cricket is now part of the yearly Disability Sports Programme that is being rolled out to both primary and secondary all SEN Units across the Island. Kwik Cricket allows children to develop and learn fundamental skills that can be later nurtured and developed over time.
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