KP Snacks, the Official Team Partner of The Hundred, have launched an initiative funding brand new community cricket pitches across Cardiff as part of KP Snacks’ initiative to give back to local communities and encourage more people to get active through cricket.
Welsh Fire stars Alex Hartley, Steve Eskinazi, Alex Griffiths, and Tom Abell were at Llandaff Fields as part of a community launch event encouraging local families to pick up a bat and ball and give Cricket a try.
Over the next three years and in collaboration with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) 100 non-turf cricket pitches will be installed or refurbished across England and Wales.
Suitable areas were identified by assessing against key measures of population reach and bringing cricket to those who may not have had access to facilities previously or whose facilities have degenerated over time. The pitches will be maintained and run by Cardiff Council. 5 pitches have been installed and are ready to use and play on this year, with more completed over the next two years.
The KP Snacks community pitch initiative will have a significant impact on local communities, offering greater access to sport for more people. It reflects KP Snacks’ commitment to investing in local communities to promote healthier lifestyles by facilitating access to sports and encouraging families to become more physically active. This is a fundamental aspect of KP Snacks’ People & Planet responsible business programme and forms part of England & Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB’s) commitment to drive the participation and growth of the game.
The ‘Everyone In’ campaign is part of KP Snacks’ commitment to get people active through cricket over the course of their 5-year partnership with The Hundred.
Alex Hartley, Welsh Fire said: “This is such an exciting time for grassroots cricket across Cardiff. Having top class facilities can really motivate more and more people to give cricket a try and get active in the process and it’s brilliant to see the new pitch here at Llandaff Fields.”
Kevin McNair, Marketing Director at KP Snacks said: “At KP Snacks, we recognise we have a responsibility to our consumers and communities, and we are proud to be championing healthier lifestyles for them. Throughout our five-year partnership with The Hundred, we’re aiming to help thousands of families across Cardiff become more active and we’re building on this with our new community pitch initiative which invests in local communities and improves access to cricket across the region.”
Tony Singh, Chief Commercial Officer at the ECB said, “The ECB’s Non-Turf Pitch programme, now boosted by the brilliant partnership with KP, is one way in which we are investing to creating new opportunities for local communities across Cardiff to access high quality cricket facilities in parks and recreation grounds where they live. Cricket Wales is also developing their own Facilities Strategy that supports potential strategic investment opportunities in the next 10 years across Wales. These new facilities are getting more people active, whether that is with their local club, school, or through All Stars and Dynamos, as well as supporting the rapid growth in Women’s and Girls’ cricket.”
Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Sport, Cllr Jennifer Burke, said: “Taking part in sport brings so many benefits for the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities, and the investment in these new non-turf pitches will help us get even more people playing cricket in Cardiff’s parks, even when the weather’s not playing ball.”
Ready to play:
- Blackweir Fields, CF10 3EA
- Llandaff Fields, CF11 9HZ
- Pontcanna Fields, CF11 9LB
- Severn Oaks Park, CF11 8BH
- Heath Park/Cathays High School, CF14 4EN
