MORE than 200 cricket lovers representing almost 70 clubs across the county attended a forum to launch Kent Cricket Board’s new Focus Club Scheme.

The scheme is a new grass roots strategy aimed at improving youth developments and the links between amateur clubs and the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Six Kent clubs, namely Sibton Park, Sandwich, Leeds and Broomfield, Tunbridge Wells, Addington and Upchurch have already moved to stage one of the scheme in gaining their Focus ClubMark - cricket’s answer to the charter mark.

In the meantime, five others in Hayes, Blackheath, Broadstairs, Orpington and Bexley have taken the first step toward their ClubMark by becoming first year focus clubs.

To date, 63 clubs in the county have registered for the Focus Club Scheme and all were represented at the seminar that featured presentations from the KCB and by ECB national development officers and strategy makers Dave Leighton and Ed Leverton.

In welcoming the flood of interest, KCB’s director of coaching Jamie Clifford said: “It was great to get so many people together and tell them the things that are available to them under this scheme.

“In the past it’s been all too easy for clubs to think the ECB do nothing for the grass roots of the game, so it was exciting for Kent clubs to see the ECB in action, here on their doorsteps, telling them how each club can benefit from this scheme.

“The main theme of the evening was to show the clubs that they can no longer sit back and expect funding to come their way, they have to be pro-active to attract it.

“In this day and age they have to be doing something to deserve the interest and backing of the ECB and this scheme is their best way of achieving that.”

The Focus Club Scheme aims at strengthening interactivity between clubs and schools, improving child welfare issues at clubs, including the vetting of coaches and creating a better line of communication between clubs, local development officers and the KCB.

For further details on the KCB’s Focus Club Scheme, contact Jamie Clifford on 01227 456886.