From left: Member of Parliament for St. Michael South Central, Marsha Caddle, Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, the Hon. Charles Griffith, Chairman of the National Sports Council, Mac Fingall, and Ambassador Stedson 'Red Plastic Bag' Wiltshire and representatives from Bat For Chance, the UK-Based Charity, among those gathered at the Barbados Royals Girls Club Launch.

Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, the Hon. Charles Griffith has endorsed the launch of the Barbados Royals Girls Cricket Club on Friday, December 8th, 2023, at the Passage Road Playing field in St. Michael.

The launch was as a result of a partnership with Bat For a Chance (BFAC) – a UK-based Charity which was started by 14-year-old Will Gaffney – the CPL franchise Barbados Royals and the Roland Butcher Academy. BFAC aims to help underprivileged children experience the joy of cricket.

Minister Griffith said: “This evening it’s not often that a Sports Minister gets to walk on history’s page, but I pledge that government will do what is necessary to ensure the success of this programme is in place”.

He added that “2023 is the Year of the Youth in the Commonwealth and there is no better occasion to have the youth through Will Gaffney, bringing a programme to impact our young people on island.”

Minister Griffith noted that cricket is embedded in Barbados’ National Sports Policy and that “the National Sports Council is developing several practice nets for young people as it relates to cricket” and he wants the young girls from Barbados Royals Girls Cricket Club to utilize them fully.

The Barbados Royals Girls Cricket Club will be a free cricket-based initiative that aims to empower young girls between the ages of 6-14 and will encourage them to participate in the sport.

Minister Griffith said the aim of the initiative is to get over 100 young girls involved in the programme, and whilst they are not near that number yet, “government’s cricket coaches will visit the primary schools to try and identify persons to be part of this process to boost the numbers.”

Numerous top sporting officials attended the launch of the initiative, including West Indies Women’s Captain, Hayley Matthews, Chairman of the National Sports Council, Mac Fingall, and Ambassador Stedson ‘Red Plastic Bag’ Wiltshire.