OMAID
‘The word OMAID translates to ‘Hope’ in Pashto, Farsi and Urdu.’
This term is fitting for a group of women many of whom have faced various challenges, inequality or who have extremely sad stories to share. The objective was to provide a community space for displaced women and young people where they could learn to play cricket while also supporting their physical and mental well-being. Regular Indoor warm space soft ball sessions have been delivered by SCF coaches and supported by staff from Diversity Voice. The overall aim will be to engage the women in a softball festival and the young people to offered some summer holiday All Stars/Dynamos coaching. The adults enjoyed an Indoor session at SCCC and a ground/museum tour. The group members also help support the celebration of an Eid event and recently took part in a Bridgwater Cultural Festival- on both occasions they cooked some delicious food and partook in a fun game of cricket with their families.
MUSTAQBIL
‘The word Mustaqbil translates to “Future” in Pashto, Farsi and Urdu.’
The young people are our future. Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC) are children and young people who are seeking asylum in the UK but who have been separated from their parents or carers. While their claim is processed, they are cared for by a local authority. The objective was to provide a community space for these young people where they could play cricket while also supporting their physical and mental well-being. This was followed by some food and social time. We ran an initial 10-week block early in the New Year using the King’s College Indoor Sports Hall and are currently another 10 weeks using the outdoor net facilities at the school. Several of the young people have also connected with local cricket clubs nearby and enjoying playing and training in a wider community context.
Partners: CHARIS Refugees Taunton/SASP Warm Spaces/King’s College
MAQBUL
‘The word Maqbul is the most common word for ‘beautiful’ and ‘accepted’ in Afghan Persian.
Uniting people and bringing communities together, the Maqbul project brings together people from multiple countries, speaking multiple languages – but they are united in the game of cricket. The key piece of this project is to integrate the participants into the local cricket community by giving opportunities at local clubs.
Partners: Somerset Activity Sports Partnership, Together Fund (Sports England), CHARIS Refugees, Voluntary Action North Somerset and North Petherton CC
WESTON WARRIORS
Weston Warriors Indoor Winter sessions at Weston Super Mare CC
This project grew out of the Maqbul project, with our intention to continue some winter training with original Maqbul group. Ken to continue to build our relationship with the Weston Warriors (a South Asian South Indian heritage) who up to now were just familiar with playing tape ball cricket. Winter training would allow them to upskill using hardballs. With the use of the two lane WSMCC Indoor centre and Weston College Indoor Hall space. A Winter plan was delivered – because of capacity we were able to invite members of the Taunton Indian CC and Mass CC members too.
Partners: Voluntary Action North Somerset and Weston Warriors
YEOVIL ROYAL BLASTERS
Connecting Communities – Indoor Wind Ball session
Yeovil Royal Blasters who are affiliated club. Nivil Lonakutty made arrangement for 20 of the club members to join us for an Indoor Wind ball session at the Westlands Sports Centre. After a brief warm up involving some catching/fielding/bowling/ battings- a 10 a side (5 pairs batting 4 overs each) was initiated.
YEOVIL TOGETHER
The aim is to bring the whole community together to enable intercultural dialogue through music, dance, storytelling. sports and the sharing of food so that barriers around ethnicity and culture can be diminished. It showcases the positive contributions of Yeovil’s ethnically diverse communities and facilitates conversations around diversity and inclusion.
This was the third time the Foundation has delivered a cricket event specifically tailored for players of Bangladeshi heritage, many of whom enjoy social cricket on Sundays. The concept was simple: cricket, their way—played in a familiar and fun format. Parvez, one of the community leaders, expressed a desire for a Tape Ball Challenge—and the group brought their own bats and specially taped tennis balls to make it happen.
Fifteen players took part, and teams were drawn for a 7-a-side match (with one player rotating between both teams), featuring 12 overs per innings and a maximum of four overs per bowler. Thanks to the support of Yeovil Cricket Club, the game was played on the club’s main square.
A new community initiative is helping support displaced people in Somerset through one of our county’s favourite summer activities – cricket.
Somerset has a long history of welcoming people who have been forced to leave their homes due to fear of violence or persecution. Anyone who finds themselves placed in Somerset will be supported by Somerset Council working alongside a range of charities and partner organisations.
The Maqbul Project has been organised by the Somerset Cricket Foundation with funding from Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership (SASP) through Sport England’s Together Fund.
Taking its name from the Afghan Persian word for ‘beautiful’ and ‘accepted’, Maqbul has a simple aim – to use cricket to impact positively on the lives of asylum seekers and refugees in Somerset.
Training and matches have been taking place at North Petherton and Weston-super-Mare Cricket Clubs, supported by groups including Charis Refugees, SASP and Voluntary Action North Somerset.
Cllr Federica Smith-Roberts, Lead Member for Communities, Housing and Culture at Somerset Council, said:
“Somerset is proud to be a friendly and welcoming county and we’re also proud of our cricket, so this is a fantastic project which combines both. Maqbul is important because it unites people and brings communities together. There are people taking part from multiple countries, speaking multiple languages – but they are playing a great sport and hopefully having a great time.”
Managing Director of Somerset Cricket Foundation, Jon Bendle Said
As a Foundation we are striving to make cricket both inclusive and accessible across all our communities. This multi-agency approach to delivery means that the Maqbul project is a shining example of what is possible when we develop and build strong local partnerships.
The programme has developed into something which is both exciting and hugely rewarding for Somerset Cricket Foundation to be part of. The passion, desire and enthusiasm of the participants is overwhelming, and it’s so rewarding to see these groups becoming true communities through cricket. The key piece of this project is to integrate the participants into the local cricket community by giving opportunities at local clubs.”
