CRICKET will receive a reinvigorated push throughout Furness under the guidance of a new Barrow development officer.

Jake Woods has taken on the role vacated by Stephen Boyd midway through last year.

The 22-year-old Askamite has worked as a casual coach within the Cumbria Cricket Board set-up for the past five years, helping out with junior sessions and the county under-13s team.

Now he is looking forward to the challenge ahead as he looks to build cricket’s presence in Barrow and Furness through schools and clubs.

“I’m really excited,” said Woods. “It’s my local area, so it’s ideal for me. I love cricket, I love coaching and I’ve been involved with the cricket board for five years now – so I know a lot of the lads and lasses.

“I’m looking forward to what’s lying ahead.”

He added: “I want to increase participation.

“We’ve got a good district development group, with a lot of good people involved with good ideas. But I think we just need to try and improve links between schools and clubs, building good links there to provide school kids with a club to go to.

“If you look at all the schools we go into, there should be more kids playing club cricket and that’s probably my main aim, to increase participation.”

Woods, who has recently finished a degree in sports coaching, hopes to achieve his aim by working with officials and players from the area’s clubs.

The Furness area has eight teams from Ulverston to Kirkby, Barrow to Vickerstown and the new development officer sees it as key that they tap into the potential from nearby schools.

“If club members want to come in with me to the schools and help me out, they can show off their club and let the kids know when training is,” said Woods.

“We also have the chance for clubs to host local schools. So, for example, we have St Paul’s right next to Furness’s ground and we could take the kids over there for some coaching.

“For kids, if they know someone at a club, like myself or a coach, then they will go along and they might bring a couple of mates with them. That’s what we’re hoping will happen.”

Woods has already spent time working with primary and secondary school children through the Chance to Shine scheme.

He is organising indoor and outdoor tournaments across various age groups in the new year and is also pushing on players already involved with the game.

“I’ve already been getting schools signed up to Chance to Shine and I’ve been delivering in secondary schools,” Woods added.

“It’s not just about primary schools, we’re trying to create this link at all ages.

“There are also the district sides and the pathways for the under-11s, under-13s, under-15s – the best players in the area. We’ve had four sessions so far at Furness College and they have been really popular.

“There has been positive feedback from the parents and the kids.”