Photo Credit: Professional Cricketers’ Association
Trust beneficiaries explain how the players’ charity has helped them.
Hampshire Hawks and Lancashire Lightning produced a memorable finale at the Vitality Blast Finals Day – but it was the personalities of the Professional Cricketers’ Trust that stole the headlines.
The Trust were the charity partner of the biggest day in the domestic cricket calendar for the third successive year, working with Sky and the BBC to spread awareness of the vital work it delivers in supporting the health and wellbeing of Professional Cricketers’ Association members.
The spotlight was shone on three of the charity’s beneficiaries in attendance, former Yorkshire all-rounder Jamie Hood, ex-Hampshire cricketer David Griffiths and former Sussex man Keith Newell, with the trio interviewed on the big screen during the interval of the first semi-final and broadcast around the world throughout the day.
An exclusive video of Steve James’ story, who lost his daughter Bethan aged just 21 in February 2020, was shown live on Sky Sports and received more than 280,000 views on Twitter alone. Former teammate and Glamorgan player, Robert Croft, reacted emotionally on Sky Sports as he pleaded with viewers to donate.
Newell received support from the Trust after his daughter Jessica was diagnosed with Leigh Syndrome, a serious neurological disorder that often affects the development of mobility, posture, and mental capacities in children. Sadly Jessica passed away in January 2022.
“We were told that we weren’t going to have much time with her, and we were a bit lost, to be honest, we didn’t really know what to do, where to turn, how to get any kind of help,” he said.
“It’s been absolutely invaluable, and I can’t thank the Professional Cricketers’ Trust enough.”
KEITH NEWELL
“We were contacted very quickly by the Professional Cricketers’ Trust, and basically, very simply said, what can we do for you? How can we help you?
“And it was just nice to have direction and support from someone to give us a clearer perspective on how we could deal with that situation.
“They have been here throughout since 2014, to help in many ways, with education, with support in her transport regarding having a three-wheel buggy, time to get away with her at Center Parcs and some financial help as well.
“It’s been absolutely invaluable, and I can’t thank the Professional Cricketers’ Trust enough.”
The Trust supports players at any stage of their careers with two players on show at Finals Day; Yorkshire’s Dom Bess, who received help for mental health issues, and Chris Wood, who was supported through counselling sessions for his gambling addiction, just two of the players that the Trust have supported.
Past players also lent their support at Edgbaston with the likes of Monty Panesar, Ryan Sidebottom and Professional Cricketers’ Trust Director Daryl Mitchell involved in the bowling activation sessions in between games.
In 2021 alone, the Trust supported 106 individuals with mental health problems, taking the overall total since 2015 to 526.
The assistance for current and former players in England and Wales is all encompassing, whether it be for physical or mental needs including provision of specialist equipment, funding operations or specialist wellbeing support.
Donate To The Professional Cricketers’ Trust
The Professional Cricketers’ Trust provides vital support to past and present cricketers in England and Wales and their immediate families when in desperate need.
Mitchell, the former Worcestershire captain and PCA Chair, said: “I’m very fortunate to be a Director of the charity, I started that when I became Chair back in 2017.
“You get to see the other side of the sport, being a Director, you see some of the cases of guys that I’ve played with, played against, Ashes winners that have fallen on difficult times and for the Trust to be able to help them is special.
“It’s a great charity, so to be front and centre of Finals Day, which is the highlight of the year from a domestic cricketers’ point of view, it’s fitting.
“Hopefully, we can continue to raise a lot of money to give a bit back to those players that have given us so much pleasure over the years.”
The Professional Cricketers’ Trust Chairman, David Ford, was interviewed live on Sky Sports, with their viewership remaining consistently around 300,000 and peaked at 700,000 during the final, and later explained how important Finals Day was to the charity being able to maintain their support for players across a broad range of issues.
“It’s a key thing on a number of levels,” Ford said. “First of all, it’s a big event, so it gives you a platform, there’ll be members of the public who have never heard of the Professional Cricketers’ Trust.
“And once they learn more about it, hopefully they will want to support it. That wouldn’t happen without this visibility.
“But it’s also important that people listen to the stories of our beneficiaries that have come today because that will encourage other people to come forward, perhaps people and cases we don’t even know about.”
The Professional Cricketers’ Trust provides vital support to past and present cricketers in England and Wales and their immediate families when in desperate need. The charity’s work is all encompassing, whether it be for unforeseen physical or mental needs.
Vitality Blast Finals Day is supporting the players’ charity – to find out more about the work of the Professional Cricketers’ Trust, visit Our Impact and you can donate here.
Name of Author: Professional Cricketers Association
The Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA), founded in 1967 by former England fast bowler Fred Rumsey as the Cricketers’ Association, represents past and present first-class cricketers in England and Wales. In the 1970s, the PCA established a standard employment contract and minimum wage for professional cricketers. It also helped create a pension scheme in 1995 and launched the magazine All Out Cricket and the ACE UK Educational Programme in 2002.
