REGULAR Walking Rounders sessions are set to start in Bromsgrove next Friday, April 14, after the town became the first place in the world to pilot it last month.
A total of 29 players turned out to the inaugural session on the Bromsgrove Hockey, Cricket and Tennis Club Astroturf last month which was attended by representatives from Rounders England.
Since then grants have been secured from the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Legacy Fund, Active Hereford and Worcester and from Sport England Together – with support from Rounders England.
The cash will help Bromsgrove’s Walking Sports Hub, headed up by Alan Gormley, to run and develop Walking Rounders in Bromsgrove.
Sessions will take place on Fridays and Mondays from 10am to 11am on the Bromsgrove Hockey, Cricket and Tennis Club Astroturf.
There will also be an evening session every Friday between 6.30pm and 7.30pm at the North Bromsgrove High School sports hall.
The funding means the first three weekly sessions will have all the equipment needed. For the first four sessions on each day there will be no charge.
Then, for the next six sessions on each day there will be no charge but participants will be given the chance to make a contribution – the cash donated will enable people with limited resources to take part.
All coaching and staffing costs for the first 20 weeks are covered.
Alan said: “I’m so excited that the people of Bromsgrove have the opportunity to be at the forefront of this exciting new sport.
“The feedback we had from our development pilot day was overwhelmingly positive.”
He added they were really fortunate to have the support from so many great organisations to get this ‘world first’ under way.
“We have had a terrific initial response from our communities and look forward to establishing Walking Rounders as a brand new sport in its own right.
“We hope Rounders England will then be able to share its benefits more widely.
Email Alan at [email protected] or call him on 07731 369942 for more on Walking Rounders and the other sports.
