Former Surrey and England Captain, Adam Hollioake and his father, John, officially opened the Ben Hollioake Learning centre at the Brit Oval last week.

The Learning Centre, proudly supported by Drivers Jonas, is named after Adam’s brother Ben, a talented young cricketer who also represented Surrey and England but was tragically killed in a road accident in 2002.

Surrey's Ian Salisbury was there to support the playing for Success initiative
The Centre, which has all the latest IT equipment to help with learning, is an integral part of the Surrey Cricket Community programme, and is the home of two major projects – Playing for Success and the Education Project - aimed at young people from the local area.

Playing for Success, sponsored by Connaught, is an after school scheme run in conjunction with Lambeth Council and Department for Education and Skills (DfES) that delivers an innovative ten-week curriculum of literacy, numeracy and cricket coaching inspired by a combination of cricket, other sports and pupils’ own interests.

The Education Project opens the doors of the Brit Oval for schools to use as their classroom for the day, and encompasses a lesson in the Ben Hollioake Learning Centre, coaching in the Lambeth Hall and a tour of the stadium. Together, the two projects help over 4,500 children and young people per year.

Adam commented “The Ben Hollioake Learning Centre is a great facility that obviously benefits a lot of people, and will leave a great legacy to remember Ben by.
Adam and John completed the Marathon together. Thanks to Surrey, Drivers Jonas and Connaught for supporting the scheme – it couldn’t have happened without them.”

Paul Sheldon, Chief Executive of Surrey County Cricket Club added, “The Community programme is of great importance to Surrey, and the Ben Hollioake Learning Centre is paramount in our commitment to supporting local people. Naming the centre after Ben is an extremely fitting way to remember such an outstanding Surrey man.”

Adam and his father both ran the Flora London Marathon last Sunday, doing so in full cricket whites and batting equipment, in aid of the CHASE Ben Hollioake Fund. They gallantly completed the course, running over finishing line together.

Everyone at Surrey County Cricket Club wishes to congratulate them on their magnificent feat.

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