The Valley’s cricketing star makes stunning county debut

A rising cricketing star from The Valley Leadership Academy got off to a fantastic start in her fledgling county career.

After impressing for her club team, Abbie Bingham was selected to play for Lancashire County Cricket Club in both the under 15 and under 17s teams.

The Year 10 pupil received an even greater boost after she received personal words of encouragement from New Zealand international batter Devon Conway, who also plays for the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League. Abbie also spoke to former England all-rounder Ravi Bopara, who discussed the mental and technical attributes required to maximise a player’s potential in the sport.

Inspired by the words of the two international cricket stars, Abbie delivered a bowling masterclass in the Red Roses under 15s game against county rivals Yorkshire CCC. She finished the match with 4 wickets for just 17 runs in her 6 overs of bowling. In her spare time, the left-arm bowler also represents the senior ladies team at her local Ramsbottom Cricket Club, recently taking a five-wicket haul against Leyland.

Abbie said: “I have always enjoyed sport in general, but cricket is a huge passion of mine. I feel special when staff at The Valley Leadership Academy talk to me and take interest in my achievements outside of school. It has helped me build strong relationships with these staff members and is helping me understand the importance of my education in my dreams to represent my county and country in the future.”

Bolton pupils revved up for tech careers

A trip to the world-famous Silverstone racetrack gave pupils at Eden Boys’ School, Bolton an insight in the vast array of STEM and design and technology careers available.

Pupils visited the museum on the site of the famous Formula One racing venue to learn about the circuit’s illustrious history, including Lewis Hamilton’s record for the most wins in the British Grand Prix.

The excited visitors marvelled at the vast array of motor sports vehicles on display and witnessed first-hand the awe-inspiring evolution of technology and engineering. Pupils relived sporting history as they stood within touching distance of classic cars including Jenson Button’s 2009 World Championship winning Brawn GP 001 and the iconic two-time Le Mans winning Porsche 962.

The mood was more sombre as pupils discovered Silverstone’s role in World War II. The circuit is built on the site of a Royal Air Force bomber station, RAF Silverstone, and the airfield’s three runways still lie within the outline of the present track.

One of the most enriching aspects of the trip was learning about the career opportunities available within motorsport. Pupils were given an insight into the vast manpower behind every F1 car, from technical jobs such as mechanic and performance coach, to operational roles such as events management and HR. In the Tech Lab, pupils investigated the properties of the innovative materials used to manufacture current F1 cars. Motorsports experts explained that in a competitive sport where every gram counts, the industry invests billions of pounds researching and developing new materials. Together, they explored the importance of innovation and engineering to the sport and how advances in technology have led to the development of new compounds of materials such as carbon fibre, titanium and steel.

Of course, a trip to Silverstone would not be complete without a tour around the track itself, and a photo with a mural of Sir Lewis Hamilton, Britain’s most successful racing driver.