DIScoverABILITY Day

Sussex Cricket will again be opening the gates of The 1st Central County Ground for DIScoverABILITY Day on Thursday 16th June.

DIScoverABILITY Day is one of the largest mass disability sport events in the South East and aims to provide an unforgettable experience in a unique setting.

The flagship community event involves people from Sussex-based schools, colleges, charities, day centres, care homes and community groups enjoying a fun-filled day out at Hove.

The day comprises a series of batting, throwing, catching, and bowling challenges on the outfield, designed for all abilities, led by coaches from the Sussex Cricket Foundation with help from dozens of volunteers from local businesses as well as members of Sussex Cricket’s professional, county disability and visually impaired squads.

In addition, representatives from Albion in the Community, Brighton Table Tennis Club and Sussex Bears Wheelchair Basketball will be running adapted activities of their sports incorporating a cricket theme.

The event is also supported by Student Sports Leaders from several local secondary schools, providing them with valuable experience of volunteering at a large community event.

Sussex Cricket’s Disability Cricket Programme provides playing opportunities for around 1,000 people with physical and/or learning disabilities.

The programme aims to help this part of our community get physically active and reap the socially inclusive benefits that are unique to cricket – a game where different ages, abilities, genders, and backgrounds can come together to make friends and have fun.

This year’s event is the centre piece of several events in mid-June showcasing Sussex’s Disability Cricket Programme. They include participants from the Ansty Super 1s (Disability Cricket) Club featuring as flagbearers at the Gloucestershire T20 fixture on Friday 10th June and the first ever county disability fixture being played at The 1st Central County Ground, when Sussex take on Surrey on Sunday 19th June.

Gary Wallis-Tayler, the Community Cricket Director, said: “DIScoverABILITY Day is the most important event in the Foundations calendar. The event enables us to provide opportunities for young people and adults with varying degrees of disability to access cricketing activity in a professional setting and creates lifelong memories in the process.

“Disability Cricket in Sussex is a key part of our Club Strategy and making our ground available to the wider community is extremely important so that our disability players/participants continue to feel a part of Sussex Cricket.”