Cricket equipment reuse project looks to expand

An initiative which redistributes unwanted cricket equipment to local schools, disadvantaged individuals, and families is planning to expand.

The Cricket Reuse Project ran three pilots projects at cricket clubs in Surrey and south west London and collected about 450 donated items of equipment.

The scheme, supported by the Surrey Cricket Foundation and run by the University for the Creative Arts (UCA) sustainable design centre, said around 75kg of equipment was diverted from landfill and given to new homes.

Adam Hill, head of physical education at at Ash Manor School, which received pads, bats, gloves and shoes, said: "These donations will hugely impact the physical health of students playing cricket and their mental and social health too.”

Some of the equipment was also donated to an Afghan refugee in Hampshire, who left his own kit in Afghanistan, as well as local schools and families.

Prof Martin Charter, director of the UCA centre, said cricket is one of the "most gear intensive sports" and can be expensive to participate in.

He said researchers found there was a lot of stored cricket equipment in garages, attics and at clubs.

Around 95% of the donated cricket gear was reusable, with some items still in their original packaging, he said.

He told BBC Radio Surrey: "At the moment we are drawing the lessons from the pilots with a view to taking it forward later in the year or at the beginning of next season."

Mr Hill said: “We want to give students equal opportunity to play the great game of cricket in what can be an expensive sport."

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