Many of the Caribbean countries which hosted the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 are developing sustainable legacy programmes around sport. Live Consulting has developed a long-term education and community development programme called Sport for Life!

This started as a pilot in Barbados in 2007 and extended to St Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago in 2008/9. Learning Centres opened at the Kensington Oval in Barbados and Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad in March and Beausejour Cricket Ground in St Lucia in April 2009.

The Challenge:
In spite of their reputation for producing first class cricketers, the Caribbean nations are facing challenges encouraging young people to play cricket and participate in sport and education in general. As in many parts of the world, social issues such as sedentary lifestyles have taken their toll on some areas of the community. Barbados is one of the countries that has realised this and its World Cup committee instituted a legacy programme that used the Cricket World Cup 2007 as a means to encourage entrepreneurship, social and sporting achievement and financial investment. St Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago have likewise identified the need to roll out Sport for Life! in their regions.

Young people celebrate at the Phoenix Academy, a delivery partner of Sport for life! Barbados

Live’s Role:
Live Consulting is devising a programme of education activity based on cricket, football and netball for 10-16 year olds in Barbados, St Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago. We have sourced funding for Barbados from Cave Shepherd, the Caribbean retailers, and from Surrey County Cricket Club as well as the Coltstaple and Sir John Beckwith Trusts in the UK. In Trinidad, Atlantic LNG, the oil and gas company, has sponsored Sport for Life! at the Queen’s Park Oval for three years. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, through a bi-lateral programme grant, has enabled Sport for Life! to complete its first twelve week programme in St Lucia and build an IT centre.