June 17, 2024
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Pupils shine at Lionheart T20 Cricket Day
After months of planning and preparation, the eagerly anticipated ‘Lionheart Educational Trust Day’ at Leicestershire County Cricket Club (LCCC) took place at the Uptonsteel County Ground on June 14th, giving children from our Leicestershire schools the opportunity to engage in a series of money-can’t-buy matchday activities.Thanks to Lionheart’s exclusive partnership with the LCCC, 20 children – ranging from primary to secondary ages – as flag bearers, welcomed the men’s players onto the pitch, whilst the winners of our 2024 LET’s Dance competition – Kayleigh and Keira from Sir Jonathan North Girls’ College – performed a stunning dance routine on the pitch before the first ball.
The event also saw the climax of our kit design competition, an initiative that invited children from all our schools to submit their ideas for the Leicestershire Foxes’ new T20 jersey, to be worn during the 2025 Vitality Blast season. Following February’s deadline, around a thousand entries were whittled down to a shortlist of 10.
The pupils behind these designs were then invited to pitch their designs before an esteemed panel – Sean Jarvis (CEO of LCCC), Lewis Hill (Men’s Club Captain), Rebecca Brooker (Women’s Club Captain) and Neil Lewis (Lionheart Head of Enterprise) – in the ‘Foxes’ Den,’ explaining the inspiration behind their ideas.
A final five were then selected, with designs by:
- Owen, Year 6, Broom Leys Primary School
- Vaneesha, Year 4, Broom Leys Primary School
- Amber, Year 6, Highcliffe Primary School
- Maya, Year 10, The Castle Rock School
- Shameer, Year 12, Beauchamp College
With proud friends and family watching on, the final five designs were displayed on the large screen in the ground while the Lionheart finalists explained to the crowd the ideas behind their designs and what it would mean to them if their concept won. Supporters were encouraged to begin voting for their favourite online, with voting remaining open over the weekend. We look forward to sharing the announcement of the winner later this summer.
The pupil with the winning design will get the opportunity to travel to a Surridge Sport factory where they will see their design make the transition from paper to fabric and become the shirt that the Leicestershire Foxes will don next season. They will also receive a framed commemorative replica of the very first shirt that comes off the production line.
On what was a warm and inviting summer’s evening at the Uptonsteel County Ground, all our young people showed tremendous enthusiasm and had a fabulous time participating.
A huge thank-you to Leicestershire County Cricket Club for their support and for giving our pupils such wonderful opportunities.