Middlesex in the Community hosted the second edition of the London Loop – as the four London cricket counties - Surrey, Essex, Kent, Middlesex and MCC Community came together to provide a sports and activities camp for over 100 under-served young people in and around Lords Cricket Ground during the first week of the summer holidays, in July. This year’s edition was unique, in that the three-day holiday camp saw a range of host locations such as Regent’s Park, St Marylebone School, London Zoo and the Home of Cricket – Lord’s.
Over 20 young people from each county aged between 9 to 11 years old were given the opportunity to take part in this free-to-participate camp – which witnessed arts, music, sport and drama delivered by some big names in sport, with a provision of breakfast and lunch to supplement the absence of free school meals during the holiday period along with fun and engaging activities. The summer holiday event part of the ECB-funded Cricket 4 London initiative, aims at providing life-changing opportunities through cricket, breaking down barriers to physical activity, and uniting young people from different corners of London.
Day one saw children from all corners of London come together and perform the iconic celebration song ‘waving flag’ during their music hour delivered by east London based music charity Progression Sessions, followed by an arts workshop, drama and basketball sessions delivered by Haringey Basketball for All.
“Music can play such a key influence in every young person’s life, and to deliver today’s session for such a passionate set of young people was wonderful. Our aim is to break down barriers towards young people taking up music” commented Ty Lowe, Music Teacher at Progression Sessions
What was exciting to see was that through the London Loop, young people from all different parts of the capital came together to make friendships, play as a team, and most importantly, have fun. What’s more, with the provision of unique sports and experiences, the kids can go back with an interest to pursue and explore something new that they enjoyed or learned in the three-day camp.
Day two of the Loop featured a full cricket experience at Lord’s, with cricket sessions led by the community cricket coaches of the four London cricket counties, followed by a tour of Lord’s, the iconic Long Room, the home and away dressing rooms which has witnessed over 250 years of cricketing history - followed by a tour of the Media Centre and a sports journalism workshop based on the 2019 World Cup Final, as seen from the journalist’s viewpoint.
“Hosting this edition in central London and Middlesex county, we wanted to curate a diverse range of events, that some of these young people would not have experienced, such as a trip to London Zoo or a sports journalism workshop from the iconic Media Centre at Lord’s led by none other than former England bowler Angus Fraser, along with playing cricket, football and rugby with some of London’s historic institutions.” said Dharani Thayi, Partnership Manager for Middlesex in the Community
Day three of London Loop 2025 gave the young people, volunteers and staff members the chance to experience Regent’s Park and London Zoo at its best – with Premiership Rugby side Saracens delivering fun Rugby sessions for the boys and girls to get stuck into. Rugby was followed by equally engaging football sessions delivered by Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, “It’s always lovely to take football to a diverse set of participants, and we’re delighted to be training young people not just from North London but all corners of the city through this unique initiative”, Philip Rudling, Head of Programmes, Tottenham Hotspur Foundation commented.
For the grand finale of the London Loop, all participants were then taken for a visit to London Zoo next door on what became a captivating afternoon of seeing animals, birds and a range of species from around the world in the heart of London. “We are pleased to have showcased London Zoo to these young people, and hopefully they go back and have an interest in wildlife conservation and plant studies in the future”, said Duncan Spencer, Conservation & Community Engagement, ZSL
Following last year’s London Loop hosted at the Olympic Park in Stratford, the constant theme amongst these diverse sets of participants was that each and every individual went back having made new friends, enjoyed a new sport, or wanting to pursue a new found passion through this unique initiative.
Middlesex In The Community would like to thank everyone who played a part in making London Loop 2025 such a success and we look forward to being involved in the event next year and beyond.
Watch the following video, with highlights of this fantastic event:
