A GREAT Sankey teenager is celebrating making the Cheshire County under 16s squad.

Grappenhall member Arran McCabe, 16, benefited from a Your Housing Group Young Person's Bursary, helping to pay for kit and extra training.

The Penketh High School student will now join Myerscough College on a two-year BTEC Diploma in Cricket Studies, based at Lancashire County Cricket Club, in September.

"Cricket is my main passion," he said.

"I’m looking forward to the season ahead, and would encourage anyone else who might need help achieving their goals to think about applying for the bursary."

Trevor McCabe, Arran’s father, added: “Arran has always been a bit of an all-rounder in sport but he has really excelled at cricket. I used to take him bowling on runway at the former RAF base in Burtonwood when he was eight or nine, and when we took him for trials they thought he’d been professionally coached.

"We’re really proud of him and so please he’d got into the Cheshire County team and onto the course.

"All he wants is to be a professional cricketer.

"The bursary was a big help and allowed us to pay for one-to-one coaching and physical training so he can become a faster bowler.”

Your Housing Group is now launching the Young Person’s Bursary fund for 2015/16 with £50,000 available to anyone aged 14-25 who lives in one of their properties. The Young People’s Bursary, now in its third year, aims to help young people achieve their career goals.

Andy Edwards, Regional Community Projects Manager from Your Housing Group said: “Our Young Person’s Bursary is now into its third year and we’ve so far helped more than 170 young people who live in our properties. The fund is designed to help with costs related to education, employment and training, or to develop a skill or interest in volunteering, music or sport.”

Arran added: “The bursary money was a big help to me as it allowed me to have the extra coaching I need to take me to the next level." I’m a keen footballer and played for Cromwell Spitfires in the Warrington Junior football league and represented my school at discus, becoming Warrington’s schoolboy champion for three consecutive years, but Also well as the Bursary funding, Your Housing Group arranged for Arran and his parents to have free gym membership for a year at the Alive & Well Leisure Centre in Birchwood Park.

Anyone interested a Young Person’s Bursary should contact James Coates on 07795 471359 or e-mail james.coates@yourhousinggroup.co.uk