Howzat? Cricket celeb supports Southwark Council sports event

The aim of the Southwark Council event on 29 June at Burgess Park community sports ground, Waite Street, is to encourage and motivate girls to sign up for sporting activities at all levels.

Ebony's talk will help break down the barriers women in sport sometimes face and highlight the physical benefits being active can have. The talk is also highlight the importance of mental attitude and how having a clear focus can benefit people in sport as well as in life.

Ebony herself faced the prospect of disability after suffering a prolapsed disc in her back during her college years. Told she would never play sport again, Ebony's tough mental attitude enabled her to prove the doctors' wrong, as she made a full recovery and went on to become a celebrated sporting champion. 

The motivational talk will be accompanied by a dvd showing clips of Ebony in action winning the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup in 2009 when England's women returned home triumphantly from Australia with the World Cup for the first time since 1993, having beaten New Zealand by four wickets in the final.

The girls' empowerment day will involve 11 to 16 year-olds having a taster of tennis, boxing, football and of course cricket, perhaps even inspiring a new batting partner for Ebony.

Councillor Veronica Ward, cabinet member for culture, leisure, sport and the Olympics said: "Southwark is has become the most improved London Borough in terms of community sport and physical activity, but we're not stopping there. We want to build on that and ensure our young women are getting the best start possible when it comes to sport. Events like these help show schoolgirls and young women that anything is possible and, who knows, this may just the springboard some of our youngsters to international sporting success".

Where

29 June

When

Burgess Park community sports ground 10am to 3pm