The Central Gauteng Lions have unveiled the union’s partnership with Safe-Hub.
It is the first cricket union to join forces with the youth and community development platform in South Africa.
The two parties have begun a strategic provincial partnership under the global Safe-Hub Campaign, one of the largest and most impactful youth development campaigns ever implemented in South Africa.
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Central Gauteng Lions will join Safe-Hub in reaching thousands of young people each year through sport-based youth development programming.
“Our sport and youth activities, including talent and grassroots development programmes, are perfectly aligned and complimentary to the community and youth outcomes that the Safe-Hubs reach and achieve,” says Central Gauteng Lions CEO Jono Leaf-Wright. “Through this partnership, Central Gauteng Lions will implement our cricket development infrastructure and programmes at Safe-Hub sites, thus expanding resources and opportunities for our current beneficiaries. At the same time, we’ll create additional cricket access points for Safe-Hub communities, thus growing the game and making it more accessible.”
The partnership will activate cricket infrastructure and programming at the following Safe-Hub locations: Jabulani (Soweto), Diepsloot, Kagiso and Alexandra – the last of which will be the first to open in September or October.
“This partnership will help us to diversify Safe-Hub’s sport offering and make a strategic move from football-exclusive programming,” says Florian Zech, Joint-Managing Director of Safe-Hub. “We know that we will create a significant impact together and look forward to the journey ahead.”
The Safe-Hub model has been designed to disrupt the intergenerational cycles of poverty, unemployment and inequality that trap young people growing up in disadvantaged communities.
A Safe-Hub is a platform that provides a physically and emotionally-safe space where young people can access services, opportunities and support through sports, arts and culture-based programmes that focus on personal development, health, safety, education, accredited training and employability.