The rise and rise of Bat for a Chance: "We have an opportunity to do more"

Will Gaffney the charity's founder, says providing kit to those who need it is just the start

Bat for a Chance has announced plans to use cricket "as a tool for social change". 

The charity, which has made a name for itself by distributing kit to disadvantaged communities around the world, has now launched three schemes which are designed to use the sport as a vehicle to help more people find employment and valuable skills. 

The first of these projects, based in Barbados, involves providing funding, kit and changing facilities for three new female teams. The second, in Sri Lanka, involves teaching basic carpentry skills so people can refurbish cricket bats and find further work as they develop their craft, and the third is in South Africa, where around 100 people are going to be trained to coach in the hope they can both develop the sport and build their own businesses.  

The South Africa scheme is being conducted in partnership with Gary Kirsten's Catch Trust. Originally established as the Gary Kirsten Foundation, the initiative has grown into a major force for cricket-based social development in South Africa. With a unique Centre of Excellence in the township of Khayelitsha, the Catch Trust is addressing inequalities in access to sports and education for young South Africans.

Bat for a Chance will be funding the Catch Academy: a coaching and personal development programme designed to empower 100 aspiring coaches from township communities. It provides training in advanced cricket coaching, leadership, digital literacy, job readiness, and entrepreneurship, alongside gender and community-focused initiatives. The programme aims to expand nationwide and internationally, fostering a network of skilled development coaches.

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^{Bat for Chance founder Will Gaffney}

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^{The charity also works with refugee groups in Greece, Bosnia and Kosova and supports an Afghanistan refugee team in the UK}

"We'll keep giving kit to those who need it," Will Gaffney the charity's founder, told The Cricketer. "That's our bread and butter and that won't change.

"But we have an opportunity to do more than that. We ran a pilot scheme in South Africa and all 18 people involved now have jobs. It's about opportunity and empowerment.

"The Catch Academy embodies everything we stand for, providing aspiring coaches with not only technical training but also leadership, digital literacy, and job readiness skills. Having supported the charity with equipment in the past this is a fantastic step forward for us in our partnership and demonstrates exactly what Bat For a Chance is all about.

"We know price is such a huge barrier for entry to the sport," Kumar Sangakkara, a supporter of the charity, said. "But projects like this are incredibly important, too. You might not see their benefits immediately, but by changing one life, they can change others and maybe one of them changes the world. It's about giving someone that opportunity.

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^{Kumar Sangakkara is a close supporter of the charity (Getty Images)}

"I was introduced to Bat for a Chance in 2021 when they somehow managed to arrange a kit drop in Sri Lanka during the height of the pandemic. What the team have achieved since then is nothing short of extraordinary. The Barbados Royals Girls Cricket Club has been an incredible success story, now seeing over 80 girls members of the club. It has been a delight to follow the success of this charity over the past four years."

Closer to home, Bat for a Chance is working with ACE and the MCC Foundation to provide kits for those using the MCC hubs. "People can make an application and, within a week, we aim to have provided them with the kit they require," Gaffney explained. 

The charity is also working with refugee groups in Greece, Bosnia and Kosova and supports a team of Afghanistan refugees in the UK. Whilst also supporting the growth of the associate game in Africa, The Middle East and Beyond.

Bat for a Chance operated in 22 nations since its inception, supporting over 65 different individual causes. As well as offering kit to disadvantaged communities, the charity funds programs which use cricket as a tool for social change in training people to go on and enjoy sustainable careers. For more information visit: www.batforachance.org.uk

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