Disaibilty cricket sessions proving a hit for accessibility champions Westquarter & Redding Cricket Club

The club, who were named one of three Disability Cricket Champions by Cricket Scotland earlier this year, have been running accessible cricket sessions at their Bailliefields grounds on Sunnyside Road every Sunday for the past few weeks.

The sessions, which run from 10am to 11am, are open to all disabilities from ages eight and above and have been well attended.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg though for the club who this year are transitioning to Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) status.

The club recently received funding and planning permission to install fully accessible modular changing rooms.

That’s part one of a two phase project which will also see them convert their former changing facilities into a social space to become the home of Bailliefields Community Hub SCIO.

Despite so much going on behind the scenes the club have not slowed down their efforts to continue to promote the game of cricket for everyone.

Westquarter & Redding are one of only two Dynamos (eight to 11 years old) in Scotland to promote girls in cricket and will be running a CricHIIT pilot in September.

The club are also running an intro to women's softball cricket attend by Rosy Ryan, Cricket Scotland Girls and Women's Participation Manager, on August 8 and have a funding application in for Clubs in Crisis to support free women's softball sessions.

Back on the disability side, the club are running Enhanced Provision All Stars at Easter Carmuirs Primary School for 20 plus kids from Easter Carmuirs, Langlees and Larbert Village.

Meanwhile, they have also received £500 funding from Magic Little Grants to offer free All Stars places next year with the help of Active Schools and are looking at funding an all terrain wheelchair for one of the disability group members.

The fundraising work continues as the club seek to install indoor nets at Braes High School and will be running an open community day to bring the community together on September 4.

The money raised from sponsors boards is providing free junior places and funding disability equipment while a funding application has been submitted with Aldi to provide cricket kit to primary schools in areas of deprivation.

Stephen Sutton, chairman and trustee of Bailliefields Community Hub, said: “A lot of people think inclusiveness is just welcoming everyone but what you need to do is actively find people and encourage them to come along.

"The weather's been great the past few weeks and we've now got seven regulars coming along to the Sunday sessions with various disabilities who are really enjoying it.

“With the whole entity of the club moving to Ballieifleds Community Hub that will give us even more opportunities to find other groups to work with and support, we want to find local groups and see what we can do to work together.”