YORKSHIRE TEA PROGRAMME

DURATION: February 2019 - October 2022

FUNDING: Yorkshire Tea/Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate

PARTNERS: RCA

OVERVIEW: Yorkshire Tea have been supporting grassroots cricket in the UK for almost a decade. They’ve been buying tea from Rwanda for several decades, and indeed buy over 15% of all the tea that’s produced there. They’ve been long-term supporters of CBH, having made substantial contributions to the cost of the stadium, (including the sponsorship of the Yorkshire Tea Bar) as well as taking part in our inaugural tournament when the stadium opened in 2017

In February 2019, in partnership with CBH they launched the next chapter of their support - the Tea Cup Coaching Programme. This is introducing cricket to three remote Tea Estates in Rwanda plus neighbouring schools.

Working with the RCA, we delivered bespoke coaching programmes which not only teach children and estate workers directly but also train staff and teachers to become coaches to ensure longevity. This means cricket and coaching can continue well after the project ends.

In October 2022, the programme culminated in a tournament - The Yorkshire Tea Cup - in which nearly 200 children in teams from each Estate competed against each other at the Gahanga Stadium.

Overall, the programme gave over 1000 children access to cricket in their schools and sessions in weekends and holidays, and trained almost 50 teachers as coaches. These, along with continued support of RCA coaches, will ensure the legacy of the programme in the tea estates.