The fourth edition of the ‘Vauxhall Loop’ programme, organised by the Surrey Cricket Foundation (SCF), was a big hit among the participants.
Last week, as part of the initiative, SCF arranged an engaging week of vibrant, varied activities for over 80 children from the local primary schools surrounding The Kia Oval, all free of cost.
The purpose of the programme was to support young south Londoners, in one of the most disadvantaged areas of the country, during their Easter holidays.
In partnership with eight local organisations, a range of activities that provided entertainment as well as encouraged social and physical development were organised for the schoolchildren.
Besides playing cricket and other team sports, sessions included beekeeping, arts and craft activities, IT coding as well as trying out skateboarding and DJ’ing. Throughout the week, free breakfast and lunch meals were also provided for the primary school children.
The programme offered opportunities for the children to socialise with their peers from different backgrounds and build new friendships.
The Vauxhall Loop is a free, holiday camp for schoolchildren who live in the areas neighbouring The Kia Oval. The programme started in 2021 and for the first time this year will run in both the Easter and Summer holidays.
Nine-year-old and a first-time cricket watcher, Michael, said: “I obviously don’t know how to explain the feeling of [seeing the players train at The Kia Oval]… it was just exciting. It makes me think that I want to start professional cricket.”
10-year-old Emilia said: “I had a couple of friends who I knew before, and I made new friends this week, and I’m actually very proud of myself that I made new friends.
“I’d rate this week out of a 10, a 10… because this camp was really fun. We got to watch some of the cricket players train, we got to do just really fun things like… I’ve never done skateboarding or rock-climbing before!”
Elliott Rousen, Inclusion and Diversity Officer at SCF, said: “The Vauxhall Loop is such a good programme because the young people get to do a wide range of activities that they might not get the opportunity to do otherwise.
“The thought process behind it is bringing kids together from different schools, backgrounds, and walks of life, and give them a free experience to remove the barriers of life in general.”
