The cricket club’s Community Team and Cygnet School’s Education Officer teamed up on a visit to a Kent primary school where they worked with Year 5 and 6 pupils to highlight the importance of physical health and exercise in maintaining good mental health. They also discussed topics using the context of cricket, such as: resilience, performing under pressure and positive growth mindsets.
Each class explored ideas around mental health, using examples from the cricketing world, before taking part in an outdoor cricket skills session.
Kent Cricket’s Head of Community, James Reid, said: “It is fantastic that mental wellbeing is now a statutory requirement for schools to teach, which until very recently wasn’t the case.
“As such, this project with Cygnet Health Care is very timely to support both teachers and young people with this topic.
“The benefits of sport and physical activity on both physical and mental health are extensive, so to use cricket as a method of knitting them together is a fabulous opportunity”.
Jayne Rowlands, Education Officer for Cygnet Schools, said: “I really enjoyed joining the pupils to talk about the importance of mental health.
“The lessons were really positive and the children were very interested and engaged.
“The connection between sport and positive mental health is really important and it was great to be able to put some of the classroom-based learning into practice during the cricket coaching sessions.”
Kent Cricket’s Director of Partnerships, Andy Griffiths, said: “This is another fine example of the positive work that Kent Cricket is carrying out in partnership with Cygnet Health Care, striving to make a difference in our local communities here in Kent.”
They visited Bysing Wood Primary School in Faversham.
The World Health Organisation recognises World Mental Health Day on 10 October every year to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health.
Cygnet Hospital Godden Green and Cygnet Hospital Maidstone have been working in partnership with Kent Cricket on different community and wellbeing initiatives including coaching sessions for service users at Cygnet Hospital Maidstone and this year’s Kent Cricket Fireworks.