Berkeley Foundation to Continue Support for Super 1s Programme

The Berkeley Foundation is pleased to renew its longstanding support of The Lord's Taverners Super 1s programme. Since the programme's launch in 2013, the Super 1s championship has engaged young people with disabilities in the positive experiences and skills that can be developed through cricket.

During weekly cricket sessions, young people with disabilities develop co-ordination, control, movement and motor skills that can be utilised in everyday life. The programme also contributes to the participants' fitness and wellbeing, by developing personal and social skills including confidence, leadership, independence and a sense of achievement and belonging.

According to the most recent Family Resources survey there are 12.9 million disabled people in the UK, 7% of whom are children.

A report from Scope revealed 69% of parents with disabled children have difficulty accessing local services for their children. Cost is also a factor, with 40% of disabled children in the UK currently living in poverty.

23% of people with disabilities would describe themselves as lonely on a given day. When it comes to young disabled people, however, the portion reporting loneliness rises to an even more unacceptable 77%.

The Super 1s programme provides an entry provision to play cricket for young disabled people, where before exposure to the sport outside of school would only be attainable for elite players through county and national squads.

Through the Super 1s programme, young disabled people aged 12 - 25 have the opportunity to gain recognised qualifications in sports leadership and also have opportunities to take on coaching, scoring and umpiring roles within cricket clubs.

By the end of the 2018 funding period, the Super 1s programme had reached over 1,000 unique participants, who attended weekly coaching sessions.

The Berkeley Foundation is committed to support the continued success of this programme, by helping to fund the roll out of the Super 1s scheme to 33 locations by 2024.