In the summer holidays of 2025, the sports hall at Yorkshire Muslim Academy (YMA) in Sheffield turned into a buzzing indoor cricket hub. Working in partnership with Masjid Umar, Cricket Arena invited local children to stay on after madrasah for All Stars and Dynamos cricket – turning a familiar faith setting into a safe, exciting place to play. Instead of heading straight home to screens, 5–11-year-olds were picking up bats and balls just a few metres from their classrooms.
Across five weeks, the programme combined ECB All Stars Cricket for ages 5–8 with Dynamos Cricket for ages 8–11. Sessions ran straight after madrasah, giving families a simple routine: arrive for class, stay for cricket, one pick-up time. For many parents, especially those juggling work, younger siblings or no access to a car, that convenience was the difference between their children joining organised sport or missing out altogether.
Demand was instant. Once YMA and Masjid Umar shared the sign-up link with parents, all 40 places – 20 All Stars and 20 Dynamos – were taken within 48 hours. The rapid response showed how much families valued a free, trusted offer rooted in their own community, with staff and coaches they already recognised from the local community.
Thanks to an ECB bursary via the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation, the programme was completely free for families. Every child received a New Balance t-shirt with their name printed on it, and All Stars participants took home a plastic bat, ball and carry case. The kit helped children feel like “proper cricketers” and meant the impact didn’t end when the session did – games continued in gardens, living rooms and local parks with siblings, cousins and friends.
On the hall floor, All Stars sessions focused on fun, movement and confidence. Children learned how to catch, throw and strike the ball through simple games where everyone was involved and no one was left on the sidelines. Dynamos built on those foundations with more game-based learning: batting in pairs, safe bowling actions, fielding roles and basic match situations that rewarded teamwork and communication as much as runs and wickets.
The coaching team was led by Head Coach Jawad Akhtar, supported by a group of local assistant coaches connected to Cricket Arena. Their mix of experience, energy and cultural understanding helped create an environment where children felt comfortable trying new skills, making mistakes and encouraging each other. For many participants, it was their very first taste of structured cricket – delivered by role models who looked and sounded like them.
Partnership working sat at the heart of the project. YMA provided the venue, Masjid Umar helped promote the programme and reassure families, the ECB and Yorkshire Cricket Foundation offered bursary support, and Cricket Arena brought in the coaching, coordination and safeguarding to make it all run smoothly. Together, they showed what’s possible when sport, education and faith institutions pull in the same direction.
Parents reported that children were more confident, more active and more excited about cricket by the end of the five weeks. Many spoke about how much their sons and daughters looked forward to “cricket days”, the new friends they had made and the pride they felt wearing their New Balance shirts. For Cricket Arena, YMA and Masjid Umar, the message was clear: there is a strong appetite for regular, faith-friendly cricket that fits naturally around madrasah life.
Building on this success, the partners are exploring options to repeat and expand the programme, including dedicated offers for girls and older age groups. The aim is simple – to keep creating welcoming spaces where children from the Masjid Umar community and beyond can be active, build friendships and see cricket as a game that truly belongs to them.
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