Glamorgan Cricket continues its support for Refugees as it teams up with The Jo Cox Foundation for the Great Get Together
Glamorgan Cricket is set to support the Jo Cox Foundation Great Get Together, which is supporting people who are settling in Wales from Ukraine and Afghanistan, with a project involving a range of activities promoting integration and making refugees feel at home and engaged.
The first activity takes place on Sunday, 25 June, coinciding with the Jo Cox Foundation’s Great Get Together programme. Groups from the Cardiff area and Llantwit Major, including schoolchildren and their families from the Vale of Glamorgan, members of Llantwit Major CC and the Afghan migrants will be attending the opening day of Glamorgan’s LV= Insurance County Championship match against Sussex at Sophia Gardens. Their day will involve a talk in the CC4 Museum of Welsh Cricket, a skills-drills play session in the Indoor School, a chance to be Guards of Honour, plus an opportunity to play softball cricket on the outfield during the lunch interval.
Later that week on Thursday, 29 June, groups of adult refugees - currently housed in Cardiff hotels - will take part in an Indoor Softball cricket tournament in the National Cricket Centre at Sophia Gardens. The visit will also include talks in the Museum, plus a Stadium Tour involving visits to the Changing Rooms and Media Centre.
The next phase will see pupils from Primary Schools in Cardiff and Llantwit Major take part during the Autumn of 2023 in a collaborative scheme around the concept of The Global Family of Cricket, preparing display material for the Museum at Sophia Gardens besides having a visit to the cricket ground for a Stadium Tour besides learning about teamwork and playing together, as well as a softball play session in the Indoor School.
The third and final phase will see the schools returning to Sophia Gardens in the Spring of 2024 for an inter-school softball cricket tournament (for the Jo Cox Foundation Trophy) with the winning school being invited back to Sophia Gardens during the Summer Term when they will be Guards of Honour at one of Glamorgan's major matches.
Andrew Hignell, Heritage and Education Co-ordinator at Glamorgan Cricket said “we are thrilled to be teaming up with representatives from Cardiff Council and The Jo Cox Foundation, both for the Great Get Together and the other inspirational activities later in the year with schoolchildren from Cardiff and the Vale. It will be fantastic to see people from so many diverse backgrounds and ethnicities come together, under the all-embracing umbrella of cricket, on the opening day of our Championship match with Sussex.”
Su Moore, CEO of The Jo Cox Foundation, said: “With Jo Cox’s ‘more in common’ message at the heart of them, Great Get Together events provide a vital social space where people from different backgrounds can come together, get to know each other, and - in many cases - begin friendships. Over the last seven years, millions of people have taken part in the Great Get Together and, this year, we’ll see hundreds of events taking place across the country. It’s wonderful to see The Great Get Together inspiring collaborations across the UK, with our growing number of More in Common groups and networks working in partnerships in their communities.“
This year the Great Get Together takes place from 23-25 June and forms part of the Moment to Movement project, supported by Spirit of 2012. Moment to Movement transforms the Great Get Together from a series of annual events to a year-round movement to inspire social connection and community action.
The Jo Cox Foundation makes meaningful change on issues that the late Jo Cox MP was passionate about. The charity works in three areas: nurturing stronger communities, championing respect in politics and advocating for a fairer world. Underpinning this work is the understanding that we have more in common than that which divides us.
For more information contact museum@glamorgancricket.co.uk