Windies legend Sir Clive takes on grassroots sport role
HE IS PATRON OF LEICESTER CARIBBEAN CRICKET AND SOCIAL CLUB
CRICKET legend Sir Clive Lloyd has become a patron of Leicester Caribbean Cricket and Social Club.
A charity with a 64-year history of delivering grassroots cricket, Leicester Caribbean Cricket Club (LCCSC) provides sporting opportunities for people of all ages, providing facilities and coaching and offering opportunities to participate in league cricket.
Alongside this, the club provides a base for social activities and offers cultural, social and educational activities, aimed at strengthening community cohesion.
Sir Clive gained recognition for his achievements as a batsman, bowler, and captain with the West Indies, Lancashire and his native Guyana cricket teams.
Inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame and knighted in the 2020 New Year Honours, Sir Clive’s popularity and prominence in cricket remain strong, as does his commitment to supporting grassroots cricket by sharing his expertise.
He said of his new role: “I am pleased to be joining the Leicester Caribbean Cricket and Social Club as their patron.
“They provide valuable recreational and community activities to the community and I am committed to assisting them to develop and grow the club, inspiring generations of people to enjoy the game of cricket.”
LCCSC was formed in 1957 as a direct result of the Caribbean diaspora in Leicester wanting to create their own recreational activities for the community, with cricket being one obvious way to do so.
The club’s founding members were former servicemen and new arrivals from the Windrush genera
The club’s founding members were former servicemen and new arrivals from the Windrush generation
tion, bringing with them their own style and cultural tradition from the island games back home.
These games, originally taking place in parks, provided social interaction, solidarity and an escape from the tedium of the workplace for the growing Caribbean community.
The sport also helped to break down the social and racial barriers the community faced and offered a chance to strengthen relationships with the wider community through a shared love of cricket.
Over the past 60 years, LCCSC has continued to develop youth and senior grassroots cricket, achieving several league championship titles along the way, while continuing to advance through the divisions of the league.
Most recently, the club has been delivering Covid-19 befriending and mental health support to isolated members of the club and the wider community.
LCCSC chairman George Martin said: “We are delighted and honoured to have Sir Clive as our patron.
“He is held in the highest regard, as one of the top batsmen and captains, and has inspired many generations of young and old people into playing cricket, not only in the West Indies, but here in the UK, too.
“His valuable experience, insight, and connections will be instrumental in supporting the club to reach its strategic goals.
“His appointment comes at a time where the club is seeking to undertake a large-scale fund-raising campaign to fund a new clubhouse and is also planning an event to commemorate its 65th anniversary, with a celebration of its history, heritage and achievements.”