Where there’s a Will there’s a way

Remarkable teenager founds a charity that brings cricket to 18,000 people around the world

The teenage years are hard for many, what with friendships, relationships, GCSEs and A-levels. One remarkable youngster has dealt with all this and more… much more… inspiring 18,000 people around the world to play cricket.

Will Gaffney is the founder of a charity called Bat for a Chance, which gives cricket kit to those in need, as well as coaching them in the game, and equipping them with life skills. It has changed lives. 

"I want more people to play cricket, and fall in love with it,” he told The Cricketer. “The cost of kit can price people out of the game. We are trying to address that.”

Still only 19, this remarkable journey for Will began on a village club’s tour to Sri Lanka in 2015.

^{Will Gaffney’s Bat for a Chance charity has helped thousands of people fall in love with cricket, in Barbados, Sri Lanka and many more countries}

"It was an amazing trip. We played a local village side in the middle of nowhere near Kandy, and they smashed us… we had no idea how to bat on a spinning wicket. Afterwards we all chatted, and we gave our kit to them, as they only had two sets of pads, gloves and bats, and no helmets. 

"Since that day it has played on my mind.

"After a short time, I mustered the confidence to send some emails, even though I am dyslexic, to charitable foundations in Sri Lanka and businesses like tea plantations.

"I just got lucky in a way – a lot of them came back to me. They replied, ‘Yes, there’s a great need for this stuff out here.’ They also warned me what I would need to think about, in terms of getting it through customs and so on. That gave me a great framework, or map, for what I needed to do.

"When was 14 I spent that summer knocking on the doors of clubs and collecting kit off people, filling my garage. The basic bundles allow a team of 11 people up and running, and we only ship to legit sources or highly trusted individuals. It was exciting when the first shipment went to Sri Lanka. I have been back once so far, and it was a thrill to see some of the work being done. Now the gear goes to people who we feel need help, and others come to us. We also work with The Foundation of Goodness, a charity set up in the wake of the 2005 tsunami."

A pupil at The King’s School, Canterbury, it was like Will had a full-time job while doing his studies. "It has cost me social and family time, and I had to juggle GCSEs and A-levels, but it has been worth it. It’s easy in this world to be reactive rather than proactive. I have loved getting on the front foot.”

Now on a gap year, Will is off to study global development at Manchester University next month – but it is no surprise that the work will continue.

Bat for a Chance has helped people in the UK and 22 other countries, but there has been a particularly eye-catching development in Barbados lately. Gender empowerment is another cornerstone of Bat for a Chance, and the charity is the founding funder of the Caribbean’s first female-only cricket club, the Barbados Royals Girls. With Chris Gayle and the Barbados Royals also on board, the club’s chief is Roland Butcher, the former England and Middlesex batter. The club has a new pavilion, and stages four-week summer camps.

"To set up a female club on an island where male sport dominates has been extraordinary,” said Butcher. “It is a free-to-attend initiative empowering girls between the ages of 6 to 14, encouraging them to take up the sport, and thereby also promoting gender equality through the power of cricket.

"With the help of Pro-Sport Caribbean and Virgin Freight, we have also sent cricket kit to three schools in Barbados. We are committed to making a lasting impact."

West Indies captain Hayley Matthews is also involved, and said: "I am pleased to be a part of this initiative that allows other young girls to write their names on history’s page. I think it’s something that has been needed for a long time."

To those who say charity begins at home, Bat for a Chance also works with MCC and the club’s foundation hubs, and the ACE and Lord’s Taverners charities. It has helped state schools in the UK, struggling communities, and refugees.

At a publicity dinner held by JM Finn, former Middlesex quick Ricardo Ellcock and Surrey and England seamer Chris Jordan offered their support. Consultant Omar Khan has also given Will considerable commercial, legal and financial guidance, while the list of volunteers involved has been immense.

Will spoke impressively in front of the audience, including his proud mother Nicky. Also watching on was British actor David Harewood, who has appeared in many films, TV shows and plays, including Homeland and Doctor Who. “I’m blown away by this,” he said. “What you have created is special. The work seems beyond your years, but you are carrying it mightily well. It’s immensely impressive.”

Will still loves and plays the game – his highest score is 68 not out and his best bowling figures (with his in-dippers) are 5 for 21 – but his work off the field has towered above all else.

To find out more, visit: www.batforachance.org.uk