There is a new face on the scene at the County Ground. Simon Lowe has just started his job as the Playing for Success Centre Manager which is based at the Centre of Excellence.

Simon told me, "Playing for Success is a national initiative which has been set up to promote learning through the medium of sport, particularly cricket, through literacy, numeracy and I.C.T. The initiative receives funding from both the D.F.E.S. and Somerset County Council, with Somerset County Cricket Club putting their contribution in kind."

He continued, "It was David Blunkett's idea. He initially saw the potential of delivering the curiculum to children through football. Now it has involved other sports and Somerset have come on board. Altogether seventy clubs nationally have a centre and this is the first for this county."

Somerset are the fourth first class cricket county to become involved with the Playing for Success initiative, and follow on the heels of Durham, Leicestershire and Nothamptonshire.

Simon Lowe told me that he had visited the other counties to try to glean the best practice from them. "I want to make Somerset the best Playing for Success cricketing county in the country," he told me.

The new Playing for Success Centre Manager is no stranger to the sporting scene locally. Before he took on his new job he taught at nearby Ladymead School in Taunton for twelev years, and for the last five years was head of P.E. He is also well known on the local cricketing scene having played Somerset League Cricket for both Ilton and Barrington.

"In my new role I will be organising and developing out of hours programmes of work with youngsters in the ten to fourteen age group initially in Taunton and the surrounding areas. This is a dream job for a cricket fanatic. I love cricket and love teaching children, teaching through the medium of cricket," he concluded.

Chief Executive Peter Anderson told me, "Clearly Somerset County Cricket Club is pleased to help in this community project especially if it will benefit young people."

The Somerset Playing for Success Centre will be open on four nights a week between 3.30 and 7.00 pm, at the Centre of Excellence at the County Ground in Taunton.

© SOMERSET