Sports foundations partner up to give families a day out

Sussex Cricket Foundation and Brighton & Hove Albion Foundation join together to provide free activities and games.

During August, the Sussex Cricket Foundation teamed up with the Brighton & Hove Albion Foundation to provide a free day of sports activities and games to hundreds of local families at The 1st Central County Ground.

Families were invited to take part in a range of football and cricket-based activities, including speed bowling, football target practice, Sid’s Big Hit, table cricket, and blind football.

There was also a healthy eating station, where families could use an exercise bike to blend their own healthy smoothies, and an area to try out BHAFC Foundation’s Soccer STEM robots.

Lynsey Hermann, Head of Community Programmes at BHAFC Foundation, was very pleased with how the event went and said: “Today’s been a real success, especially for parents as a free family event in the middle of the summer holidays,” she said, “We’ve had a really good turnout, hundreds of families here. Everyone’s been able to enjoy the sunshine, have some food, and get involved in the activities.

“It’s been a good opportunity for us as well to showcase some of the great work we do.

“It’s something that we’ve wanted to do for a very long time, and it’s a lovely sunny day, so we’re very happy.”

Gary Wallis-Tayler, Community Cricket Director, highlighted the importance of the two clubs working together.

He said: “It’s really important that we have a strong relationship,” he said, “We’re two of the biggest sports clubs in the south and we want to be doing more together, and we see this event as just the start.

“Between us we can create a really powerful message to get more people involved in sport.”

Families at the event were greeted by a number of special guests, including Albion mascot Gully, and Sussex mascots Sid and Sandy the Sharks.

A group of Sussex cricketers including Jofra Archer, Brad Currie, and Ari Karvelas came to meet people and pose for photos, as did a group of players from our women’s academy side.

Sussex Police, who work closely with the Brighton & Hove Albion Foundation as part of the Premier League Kicks programme, also had a stall at the event. Officers brought along a police car and van for people to explore, as well as some police equipment to look at and uniform for the kids to try on.