Photo Credit: Professional Cricketers’ Association
Players’ charity returns to take centre stage on biggest day of 2021 domestic calendar.
Vitality Blast Finals Day will officially support the Professional Cricketers’ Trust for a second year in succession when the showpiece event of the domestic season returns on 18 September.
The Trust will collaborate with the ECB and Sky Sports to both showcase the work of, and raise funds for, the players’ charity as Finals Day returns to Edgbaston later on this season.
The news follows on from last year’s first ever Finals Day in support of the Trust, which took place on 3 October 2020 to mark the end of the domestic season.
Although no crowds were present on the day due to Covid-19 restrictions, fans watching at home were able to text to donate to the Trust, enter an online raffle and auction, and even purchase merchandise adorned with Trust branding.
As a result, over £15,000 was raised for the players’ charity, in a year which saw a huge annual fundraising shortfall caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. It is hoped that this year’s event can go even further to support PCA members when they need it most once again.
The Professional Cricketers’ Trust is a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping less fortunate PCA members who have fallen on hard times, as well as their immediate families.
Support can include mental health treatment, funding towards specialist medical treatment or equipment, hardship support and direction or advice in difficult situations.
Since 2015, 426 PCA members have been supported by the Trust in the area of mental health alone, including 94 during a record-breaking year in 2020. During the first quarter of 2021, the charity has already supported 25 new cases, and a total of 59 individuals, male and female, are currently receiving assistance.
Recently, former England and Kent man Alan ‘Iggy’ Igglesden and wife Liz revealed what the support of the charity means to them in a heartfelt interview, before completing the national 5k May challenge, which eventually helped to raise a total figure of over £20,000 for the Trust.
Professional Cricketers’ Trust President David Graveney said: “For the second year in a row, we would like to thank our colleagues at the ECB and Sky Sports for agreeing to support the Trust this Finals Day.
“We are a small charity reliant on generous donations from the public, so it will be great to see the spotlight shone on the important work that the Trust carries out on behalf of PCA members on 18 September.
Photo Credit: Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
“We hope that this year’s event will have a similarly positive impact to the 2020 edition, and there’s no doubt that the potential for a capacity crowd at Edgbaston will make it a day to remember.”
ECB Managing Director of County Cricket Neil Snowball said: “The value and impact of the support that the Professional Cricketers’ Trust provides current and former players is hugely significant.
“The generosity of the cricket community was underlined by the donations made during Vitality Blast Finals Day last summer and, with fans back, we’re hopeful even more money can be raised this year.”
Find out more about the Professional Cricketers’ Trust or visit our JustGiving page to make a one-off donation to the players’ charity.
Revisit the 2020 edition of Vitality Blast Finals Day in support of the Trust.
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.
