AS the cricket season hots up with the Ashes in full swing, Aldwickbury Park Golf Club has lent a helping hand to a charity promoting the sport in this country. The club in Harpenden has given the Cricket Foundation s regional officer, Richard Darwin, an

AS the cricket season hots up with the Ashes in full swing, Aldwickbury Park Golf Club has lent a helping hand to a charity promoting the sport in this country.

The club in Harpenden has given the Cricket Foundation's regional officer, Richard Darwin, an office to work from at a charitable rate.

The charity runs the Chance to Shine campaign, the single biggest sports development initiative undertaken in the country, with the aim of bringing cricket and its educational benefits to two million children in a third of state schools by 2015.

Richard helps 11 county cricket boards to maximise the funds they receive across the region and plays a key role in forging links between local schools and clubs as part of the campaign.

Bank of England Governor, Mervyn King, is the president of the appeal and composer Sir Tim Rice, bat manufacturer Duncan Fernley and TV presenter Mark Nicholas are among its supporters.

Richard said: "Chance to Shine is an ambitious initiative and will hopefully benefit thousands of children in state schools across London and the East.

"We need to raise �50 million and support from organisations like Aldwickbury Park helps to keep our operations costs to a minimum."

Simon Folbigg, sales and marketing manager at the club, said: "Cricket and golf are very similar in that they are often wrongly viewed as elitist sports.

"We want to do our bit to help promote both sports being available to all, especially young children.