Earlier in 2010, Durham County Cricket Club launched the Durham County Cricket Foundation, worth £500,000, with Esh Charitable Trust as their main community partner.
The Foundation aims to provide inspiration, motivation and to raise self-esteem in the local community, based upon five activity pillars of Health, Education, Social Cohesion, Grassroots Sport and Club Development.
The Foundation seeks to build self-esteem, to raise expectations, to heighten standards, to offer people the opportunity to become fitter, healthier and more active, to help develop local communities, to tackle issues such as racism, bullying, anti-social behaviour and to encourage more people to commit to their education.
Thanks to the support from the Esh Charitable Trust, Durham County Cricket Foundation’s education programme aims to have contact with many more people in the region – working with 300 schools and deliver over 1,200 hours of education activity.
The Grassroots Sport, Health and Education programmes are already in action with the Foundation looking to begin health and social cohesion programmes in the near future.