I was very fortunate to be introduced to Chance to Shine many years ago when I moved from Spain to England, and looking back now, I can see just how much that moment shaped my journey.
The opportunity to play at my local Street Club in Preston, for free, quickly became the highlight of my week. Those sessions had a huge influence on me; I made great memories, met new people and built friendships I’ve maintained to this day. It’s developed my confidence, leadership and teamwork skills.
I was also introduced to Freddie Flintoff off the back of Street cricket, as I featured in season 1 of Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams. At a Chance Street tournament, I was approached by some of the producers, who asked a bit about my personality and upbringing. Sure enough, my parents received a phone call inviting me to feature in the documentary and play with the great man. It was an amazing experience and shows how Chance to Shine creates lasting memories.
Now, as Youth Advisory Board co-chair, I can use my voice and collaborate with other young people to help shape existing and future Chance to Shine programmes, so more young people can have more life changing experiences.
To give a tangible example of our work, we recently contributed to the creation of secondary school festival days run by the charity across ICC Women's T20 World Cup venues. Giving young people a voice in how children can be engaged is vital, and it was a privilege to support this process.
Last month, I was also lucky enough to attend the 2026 Impact Report launch at the House of Lords. Being there in person really brought the scale of the charity’s work to life and it was great to find out about all the young people being positively influenced, like I was growing up.
Something that surprised me at the launch was learning the scale of girls’ cricket delivered by Chance to Shine. Last year, 51% of their participants (which number over 600,000) were girls; with 2026 being a home World Cup year, there’s massive potential to further grow the game for women and girls across the UK.
Sessions at the Preston Street club I played at helped me stay grounded, especially during stressful exam periods, and gave me a way to manage pressure and switch off. The fully qualified coaches who supported me created a safe and enjoyable environment where I always felt included and started to believe in myself.
Now, with the Youth Advisory Board, I want to help more young people get involved, whether that’s at their school or their local Street Club. For some, that first session could be the beginning of a journey.
It’s also an opportunity for young people to share their voice, offer fresh perspectives and help shape the charity’s programmes for the future. And for me, that’s what makes Chance to Shine so powerful, it doesn’t just support young people, it listens to them.
Please do take the time to find out more about our work at chancetoshine.org – and get behind cricket in what could be an exciting few months for the sport.