There is more to the Yorkshire and current England all rounder Adil Rashid than just playing the game. He is also a quiet pioneer helping to develop the next generation of Anglo-Asian stars both male and female for England.

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The academy created by him in an impoverished part of his home city of Bradford three years ago is discovering and polishing the gems of the future. Manningham, once home to the city's Jewish and German communities, is now almost exclusively Asian. The sound of the muezzin's call to prayer provides its soundtrack five times a day. The area itself has a lot of issues around anti social behaviour and the risk of extremism and radicalisation.

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Opening Boundaries have been working with the academy since its inception. Our work has involved supporting the strategic delivery of the organisation in implementing various programmes to engage with young people on the values of sport and using safe environments to open dialogue on issues of physical activity, career building & extremism.

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As well as delivering the nuts and bolts of the game, Opening Boundaries have also been successful in obtaining over £30,000 worth of funding for the development of grassroots and female only programmes for the academy. The girls-only sessions are intended to help break down parental barriers. Within the south Asian community many parents would rather have a female coach when girls reach puberty. Having a female allows the girls to engage in talks around issues such as puberty, violence against women and women’s development. This is where Opening Boundaries have been successful in breaking down barriers and addressing these issues in an open and safe environment.

 

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