Cricket Leinster have partnered with The Lord’s Taverners Ireland (https://www.lordstavernersireland.ie/) for several years now to increase the awareness of what the charity does and to give children with intellectual and physical disabilities a sporting chance. We do this through table cricket and adapted cricket games within community groups, county council and local sports partnership run events as well as in conjunction with organisations like the IWA, Vision Sports Ireland and Spina Bifida Ireland.

We are delighted to report that in comparison with last years figures we have increased our participation numbers by a whopping 71%. This is with another 4 months left to expand this even further. We have managed to increase participation in the Meath area, through the training up of the new Meath Cricket in the Community Development Officer (CCDO): Anne O’Meara. She was trained up during Cricket4all sessions held by North Kildare Cricket Club, Kilcock. She has delivered sessions at various inclusion camps run by Meath Sports Partnership and the Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA). We have also got more involved with the IWA and successfully tested out a version of continuous cricket with wheelchair users in Clontarf’s IWA Sport Centre. These relationships with local sports partnerships and the IWA are very important to Cricket Leinster for the successful role out of these programmes.

Just to name a few of the schools, clubs, organisations and community groups that we have delivered sessions with so far this year:

• Cool Star Kid’s Club, Lucan
• Gladiators Club, Neilstown
• IWA Navan
• IWA Clontarf
• Kishoge Community College Resource Centre
• Meath LSP
• National Sports Campus
• North Kildare Cricket Club
• Scoil Mochua, Clondalkin
• South Dublin County Council
• St. Raphael’s, Celbridge
• St. Michael’s House, Turas Centre, Rathgar
• St. Joseph’s Special School, Tallaght

In addition to these sessions, Cricket Leinster have also organised bucket collections for The Lord’s Taverners at both the Ireland vs Pakistan Test match and the Ireland vs India T20 days which have raised just over €2,500 for the charity. A massive thank you must go to all those that volunteered on those days, including Microsoft employees.

We would like to also mention that these figures are only representative of the activities that we do with children with disabilities, Cricket Leinster also run Table Cricket with adults with disabilities. Predominantly in the Dublin City, South Dublin and Kildare area linking in with St. Michael’s House and St. John of God’s groups.

Written by Naomi Scott-Hayward (Cricket Leinster)