More than just cricket: a season of connection, confidence and community

Sometimes support for your mental health doesn’t look like sitting down and talking. Sometimes it looks like picking up a cricket bat, getting outside and spending a couple of hours with people who are pleased to see you.

Over the past few months, a group of people have been doing exactly that at Beckwithshaw Cricket Club, as part of Mind in Harrogate Districts Thorpey’s Bat and Chat programme.

People of different ages and abilities have come along each week. Some had played cricket before, others were complete beginners. There have been some brilliant catches, a few unexpected boundaries, plenty of missed balls and quite a lot of laughing along the way.

But the cricket was only ever part of it.

The sessions were about giving people somewhere to go, something to look forward to and the chance to spend time with others without any pressure. For some, that has meant more than we perhaps realised when the project began.

One member of the team told us:
“There have been a number of weeks when it’s the only reason I have left the house and spoken to others.”

With support from coaches Ben and Miles, people could join in at their own pace. Nobody needed to be good at cricket. It was about having a go, enjoying being together and knowing you were welcome.
And when the cricket finished, people stayed.

Over a cup of tea in the pavilion, conversations moved from what had happened on the pitch to how people were doing more generally. There was space to talk about the good weeks and the difficult ones, or simply to listen and be around other people.

As the season went on, people got to know each other. Confidence grew. New friendships formed. What started as a group of people turning up to play cricket began to feel like a team.

Another member said:
“I’ve loved it. I feel like I’ve truly benefited from it and am honoured to be part of it. It’s a fitting legacy to Thorpey and his battles with mental health.”

That’s probably the best way to sum up the season.

There were no league tables and nobody was keeping score. What mattered was seeing people come back each week, watching people become more comfortable around each other and knowing that, for a couple of hours, there was somewhere they could just turn up and be themselves.

Because looking after our mental health can look different for all of us. For this group, cricket gave people a reason to come together.

And sometimes, that can make a bigger difference than we realise.

A huge thank you to the Thorpe family, Beckwithshaw Cricket Club, Ben and Miles, our wellbeing facilitators and, most importantly, everyone who came along and made the sessions what they were.

The project was made possible through funding from Mind.