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08 February 2012 03:10
Sport
ELDC launches new girls cricket initiative
A Lincolnshire district council has teamed up with the England Women’s Cricket Captain to tackle the problem of obesity in young people.
The initiative, which will see Charlotte Edwards MBE and head coach of the England Women’s Cricket Academy, Lisa Keightley, teaching up to 300 girls aged between 9 and 14 in East Lindsey, is one of the first in the UK.
Edwards recently launched the project, called Future Females, with East Lindsey District Council when she visited Cordeaux School in Louth.
Childhood obesity levels are currently above national average in East Lindsey, something the council wants to address by encouraging more young people, especially girls, to take part in sport.
From February to August, the scheme will be running a series of specialist workshops, training camps and sports days with schools across the district. These school sessions will be linked to local cricket clubs to help make the project sustainable.
“With almost one in three females aged 11 being overweight or obese, we wanted to put a programme in place which would inspire young women to get into sport, to not only get fit but to learn new skills,” said James Brindle, health, arts and culture manager. “The upcoming Olympics provided us with the perfect opportunity to launch our overarching arts, sports and culture programme; East Lindsey Live, in the region.”
Commenting on the launch of the initiative, Charlotte Edwards added: “The Council are doing great things here. I've been coming to the region for a few years now, creating beach cricket workshops in the summer, but now, with this project I will be actively taking cricket into schools and clubs so that young women, who wouldn't ordinarily get the chance to experience cricket, now can. I’m really proud to be leading the way and helping to make a real difference to these young girls’ lives.”
Matthew Archer, Future Females programme lead at East Lindsey District Council said: “We take our responsibility to the community very seriously, and as such are the first council in the country to launch a ‘future female’ programme. Working with the England and Wales Cricket Board allows us to increase our sports offer.
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