Mayor of Blackburn surprises school pupil with a cricket bat signed by Ben Stokes

Image by Blackburn Central High School

A student from Blackburn Central High School (BCHS) was bowled over when the Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council surprised her with a piece of cricket memorabilia.

Momena Ahmed, a year 10 student at BCHS, is a keen cricketer. She represents her school at cricket, and plays for a local team. She met Mayor Councillor Suleman Khonat at an awards ceremony late last year when she, fellow students as well as the staff won an award for the pioneering work they do in breaking down barriers and bringing different people together for a good cause.

At the event, she spoke with the Mayor about her passion for cricket and made a lasting impression on him, which led to him turning up at her school to present Ahmed with a signed cricket bat from England Captain Ben Stokes.

After accepting the bat, Ahmed said, “I can’t believe he’s gone out of his way to get this bat for me. I’m absolutely over the moon and very grateful to Mr Khonat for his kindness

“I love cricket, it’s my main hobby, so to have a bat signed by the England Captain himself is huge and I’ll certainly treasure it.”

Shanaz Hussain, Headteacher at BCHS, said, “We were delighted when the Mayor came in to visit us and thank him tremendously for Mr Khonat’s generosity.

“At Blackburn Central High School we’re passionate about developing the skills of our students and Momena plays a pivotal role in representing our school at cricket so this gift is very well deserved.”