Cricket Stars to Teach Bristol Schoolchildren about a Healthy Lifestyle
27 November 2013
Gloucestershire Cricket is one of the first County Cricket Clubs in the country to teach school children how to grow their own veg, cook a healthy meal and show them the best way to take regular exercise.
‘Howzat for Healthy’ launches in Bristol today where pupils at Brunel Field Primary School in Ashley Down are being treated to a visit from some of Gloucestershire Cricket’s best known stars.
The year-long project - which is kicking off at Brunel Field in Ashley Down, will teach pupils about taking regular exercise, how to grow vegetables in the school garden and then use the ingredients to cook a healthy meal.
The first session taking place today will give pupils a chance to meet Will Gidman and Cameron Herring. The Year 1 and 2 pupils will learn about cricket and then have an opportunity to quiz the players about being a professional athlete.
In a couple of weeks the children will take part in the second stage of the project entitled ‘Get Active’. This will be a special coaching session at Nevil Road, organised by the Gloucestershire Cricket Board who are the recreational team who take cricket out into the community.
‘Get Cooking’ is the third instalment of the project which will take place in the New Year. Gloucestershire Cricket’s Chef who works with the Club’s catering partners, The Lindley Group, will head over to the school and teach the pupils how to cook a healthy meal in their brand new cookery room.
As the weather starts to warm up, in the final stage of the project called ‘Get Growing’, the children will grow vegetables from seed which will be planted out in the school’s garden. They’ll be helped by volunteers at the Ashley Vale Allotments’ Association, with some of the food harvested in time for the summer fete.
“We’re really excited about launching ‘Howzat for Healthy’ as it combines so many different aspects of Gloucestershire Cricket.” Roz Hutchings, Head of Community Engagement explains.
“Similar projects have been launched at Tottenham Hotspur and Bristol City FC but here at Gloucestershire we wanted to be the first County Cricket Club to engage with young people in this way by utilising different elements of our club.”
“Throughout the project, the pupils will complete a specially designed workbook which includes quizzes, puzzles and loads of healthy recipes they can try out at home with their parents.
“The idea is to teach children about a healthy lifestyle which they’ll hopefully continue to adopt outside the school environment and into their everyday lives.”
