The annual Wicketz South West Festival was held at St James School, Exeter on the 26th of October 2022, with 20 participants from Wicketz Plymouth being joined by Bristol to celebrate all that is good about playing cricket together.
To kick start the festival, participants were put into teams where they were encouraged to meet new people, discuss team values and provide support for each other for the day. Encouraging young people from different backgrounds and cultures to focus on their team values allows for a greater sense of inclusion, team cohesion, and a positive atmosphere. Some of the team values the groups came up with were: respect, kindness, teamwork, positive attitudes and fairness.
Once the team values were in place, the groups took part in a workshop on disability, communication and inclusion delivered by Devon Super 1s Officer Lewis Fountain. The workshop helped develop their knowledge of what disability and inclusion are, taking part in Visual Impairment (VI) activities which helped them learn new ways to communicate with deaf and blind people.
Katie Holland, Wicketz Development Officer explains why teaching young people about disability and inclusion is so important:
“Teaching young people to understand people’s differences helps build an inclusive culture that can help reduce the risk of bullying, isolation and poor mental health. On top of this, it helps young people to understand differences in a positive manner, build empathy and emotional intelligence, and develop skills they can carry far beyond school.”
In the afternoon, the participants took part in cricket tournaments against other teams and a workshop on dealing with pressure, delivered by Tom Barry (Wales Wicketz Development Officer). Pressure is something young people face almost every day, whether that’s in school, sport, society and themselves. Educating young people about coping mechanisms to deal with pressure can help reduce stress, leading to better social, physical and mental wellbeing.
Some parents provided some really positive feedback on the impact the workshops and festival had on their children:
“My kids have taken away lots of useful insights and skills from the workshops. Micah found it easy to understand and he thought it was super fun. I’m so proud of how much they took away. Thank you!”
- Emma
“My two boys Rufus and Felix have loved Wicketz in Plymouth and got the chance to go to the festival yesterday and had a super time! They came home telling us all about it and the fun they had. It was so lovely to see them so inspired and raving about cricket.”
- Rosalie
The day ended with an award ceremony and a special thanks to all those who attended and supported the festival.
Interested in taking part in Wicketz Plymouth? Get in touch with our Wicketz Development Officer, Katie Holland:
katie.holland@devoncricket.co.uk
07498 751414
