Anna Ingram · Youth Cricket ·

A Year of Youth Cricket in Gateshead: Building Skills, Confidence and Social Value

A Year of Youth Cricket in Gateshead: Building Skills, Confidence and Social Value

One year ago, we launched our youth-majority cricket sessions in Gateshead with funding from Gateshead Council. What started as a simple, free weekly session for local young people has now become a powerful community programme — one that creates a lasting impact, builds confidence, and, as our latest SportFin-validated data shows, generates a total social value of £43,701.

With around ten regular attendees every Monday, the group has evolved into a consistent, supportive, and energetic environment for young people who might not otherwise have access to sport. Even after the original funding ended, Cricketqube has continued to deliver sessions at no cost to families, driven by the proven impact on children’s wellbeing, confidence, and learning.

Programme Reach: Strong Engagement, Real Commitment

Over the past year, we have delivered:

  • 35 sessions

  • 213 total attendances

  • 1 4 unique young participants

The majority of participants are children and young people, reflecting exactly who this programme was designed for.

These numbers represent not just participation, but commitment. These are young people who attend every week, building skills over time and forming a genuine community around cricket.

A Proven Model: What the Data Tells Us

SportFin’s analysis, using the Sport England 2023 Social Value Model, shows that participation in our Gateshead youth sessions is strongly correlated with improvements in:

  • Academic aspirations

  • Confidence and self-esteem

  • Educational attainment

  • Employability and vocational skills

  • Household income prospects

  • Life satisfaction and mental wellbeing

  • Social skills, teamwork and communication

Ninety per cent of our participants showed correlations with improvements in every single one of these areas.

This is not anecdotal. It is validated, evidence-based, and grounded in decades of academic research on youth sport and family engagement.

What Families and the Youth Say

The numbers tell one story — but the young people tell another.

Matthew,13, shared:

“It’s really fun, everyone is included, and there are lots of different games, so we don’t get bored.”

Joshua, 10, added:

“Enjoyable, fast-paced and fun.”

Mary, mother of two boys who attend regularly, said:

“Both my boys love Cricketqube. Both of them are getting into cricket in a way that is fast-paced and fun. Thank you.”

Wayne, another parent, said,

“Jackson loves the cricket sessions with Anna. He always has lots of fun, enjoys the competitive element where he is challenged in an encouraging and fun environment, learning all the time whilst making new friends and building his social skills.”

What Our Coaches See

Anna, our coach who has been leading the sessions, captured it perfectly:

“Coaching the young people at Gateshead isn’t just about coaching cricket. It’s about creating passion, teamwork, character, confidence and plenty of smiles and laughter.”

Why Programmes Like This Matter

In a time when access to sport is declining — especially for families facing financial barriers — a free, community-rooted programme like this is vital.

These sessions offer:

  • A safe, inclusive space

  • Consistent weekly physical activity

  • Opportunities to develop essential life skills

  • A boost to well-being and resilience

  • A pathway into cricket for children with no club background

This is precisely the kind of early engagement that keeps young people active for life.

Looking Ahead: Sustaining the Impact

As we enter our second year, we are actively seeking partners and funders to help sustain and scale this programme. The impact is now measured, validated, and clear:

Cricket builds healthier, happier, more confident young people — and these sessions offer a model that can be replicated across communities.

Cricketqube Blog