How cricket is benefitting a Hartlepool recovery group on and off the ...

ECB Reporters Network journalist Joe Boaden visited a group of people recovering from substance use in Hartlepool who after playing their first-ever match – which Joe dutifully umpired in – they provided their insight into how the game is benefitting them on and off the field.

By Joe Boaden, ECB Reporters Network

Cricket is helping to give people recovering from substance use in the north east a new lease on life with a group in Hartlepool admitting they are falling in love with the game.

The Recovery Cricket Group is a cricket team run by Start - a drug and alcohol support service run by Hartlepool Borough Council and Foundations.

Most of the players were completely new to cricket when the group first met at the start of the summer for weekly training sessions at Hartlepool Cricket Club.

And last month, as part of National Recovery Month, the team played its first-ever match to celebrate the gains made by members of the group during the summer.

Gareth Jones, who is one of the Recovery Cricket Group members and who captained the team in the inaugural match, admitted there had initially been some hesitancy to play.

“A lot of the players had never played before,” he said, adding that a few said: “I won’t come, I’ve never played before.”

Encouraged to at least give it a go the day was, of course, a complete success – reinforcing the group’s growing love for the game – with the benefits on and off the field resulting in plans now to start up another team in Middlesbrough.

“It was like a new learning experience,” Gareth said. “Each and every one of them enjoyed themselves. It’s been a great experience for all of them.

“In recovery or when you’re in addiction you’re used to whatever your addiction was. This is a new scope to learn something different that you’ve never even thought of or dreamed about doing.”

Aiden Gardener, another member of the group, added: “it’s brilliant - you feel really welcome at the weekly training sessions.

“I enjoy cricket. It’s one of my favourite sports. I just like the camaraderie between everyone.”

The initiative was set up by Start as part of their psychosocial intervention work to get people involved in groups.

Andrew Relton, Volunteer & Recovery Coordinator for Hartlepool Borough Council, said that activity and sports-based variety of psychosocial work “traditionally has been things like art therapy or a bit of football”.

That was until one of his colleagues, Start Group Facilitator Richard Sirs, suggested that cricket would be a good idea to see what people would do.

“I was a bit sceptical about it to be honest,” said Andrew, who felt it was “a bit too left field and that the demographic wouldn't necessarily be people who may be interested in cricket”.

“In fact the group absolutely love it,” a beaming Andrew said.

“They love coming to the nets. It’s so totally alien, almost, to what they did in their previous lifestyle. It's not an area of the town even that a lot of them have ever been to. They’re having a great time.”

The group’s success in its first year has been made possible by support from a range of people and organisations.

Andrew outlined the history of the group, detailing how they “met with Hartlepool Cricket Club who very kindly agreed to let us use the fantastic facilities that they’ve got”.

Durham County Cricket Club donated shirts and batting equipment and Newland Sports donated about £300-£400 worth of equipment too.

Andrew joked: “Before we knew it, we had all the gear – but no idea!”

As well as assisting in supporting its members, Start also aims to tackle the main issues of stigma attached to drug and alcohol addiction, to get over that initial barrier and see people as human beings with a medical condition.

To that end, Andrew said that “cricket has really caught the imagination” and that the recovery cricket group “is regarded as a really positive thing that’s happening in Hartlepool”.

The group are now looking to organise indoor training sessions through the winter and the success of the initiative is already inspiring their partners Recovery Connections to embark on setting up the new team in Middlesbrough.

The group also raised sponsorship to successfully put their voluntary coach, Callum Prosser, through an ECB coaching course.

As one player said at the end of the match - ‘you know that song that says ‘I don’t like Mondays’? It should say ‘I don’t like Tuesdays’. Because Monday is when cricket is on’.

If you or someone that you know is struggling with drugs or alcohol please contact your local drug and alcohol treatment service and ask for help. You don’t have to do this alone.

In the Hartlepool region a support team is available at Whitby Street, Hartlepool TS24 7AB. Open 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday. Telephone: 01429 285000