Lord’s Taverners Expansion Can Deliver Commercial and Social Goals for Partners
February 22, 2017
More than 1 million sporting chances were created by the Lord’s Taverners in 2016 – and millions more will be created by the UK’s leading youth cricket and disability sports charity as part of ambitious expansion plans over the next three years.
As announced in its annual Impact Report, last year the Lord’s Taverners invested a record £3.4million in its disability and sports programmes as well as grants for specialist facilities, transport, equipment and resources.
The success of corporate partnerships with major brands such as BT and Berkeley Homes means that not only were 70,000 disabled and disadvantaged young people given a sporting chance, but it also helped partners deliver their commercial and corporate social responsibility objectives. And the Lord’s Taverners plans to grow its UK activity will give more partners the chance to align with its life-changing programmes to enhance the lives of disadvantaged and disabled young people through sport.
Having worked with the Lord’s Taverners to install 30 state-of- the-art sensory rooms at schools across the UK, BT Group’s Charity and Community Director Suzy Christopher explained that partnership also created volunteering opportunities for staff.
She added: “We’re delighted to support the Lord’s Taverners and its work, in particular the BT sensory room programme that has helped install 30 state-of- the-art facilities at schools across the UK. These support the educational and physical development of children with a wide range of disabilities including autism, communication problems and sensory impairment.
“Our involvement with the Lord’s Taverners also gives our people an opportunity to support the charity’s many disability sports events through volunteering, enabling them to give something back while developing their skills.”
In partnership with the Berkeley Foundation, the Disability Cricket Programme was delivered across 23 London Boroughs in 2016 and over the next three years this will expand to all 32 boroughs and other major UK cities.
Stuart Cowen, Chief Executive of the Berkeley Foundation, said: “It’s an outstanding programme that really assists disabled young people to participate in sport and lead fulfilling lives. It has been reall exciting to be involved in a programme that means so much to young people and grown so quickly: from 4 Boroughs to 23 in three years. That is why the Berkeley Foundation renewed our partnership with Lord’s Taverners and look forward to seeing all London Boroughs participating.”
Rob Perrins, Chief Executive of Berkeley Homes, added that the partnership between the Foundation and the Lord’s Taverners worked both in terms of its business, but also social objectives. He said: “The Foundation’s work enriches our working environment and brand. It shows that we can marry commercial success with a real sense of social purpose.”
Lord’s Taverners plans to enhance the lives of thousands more young people across its cricket and disability sport programmes over the next three years include:
Expanding its Wicketz programme from three to 11 areas of the UK in areas of greatest need
Growing the sport of table cricket and expand this programme from 100 to 300 participating schools while developing 60 young leaders.
Developing our Disability Cricket Champions to ensure all 32 London boroughs participate
and expand this programme to a further eight locations outside of the capital.
Delivering 120 new specially adapted minibuses
Providing 300 sports wheelchairs and support the junior development of three wheelchair sports
Maintaining a consistent programme of providing disability play equipment to those schools and organisations in the areas of greatest need.
Lord’s Taverners CEO Paul Robin said: “Our annual Impact Report highlights both the achievements and the ambition to continue to be the UK’s leading youth cricket and disability sports charity. We are committed to making significant expansion across our core cricket and programmes that enhance the lives of some of the most marginalised and at risk young people in the country. It’s an exciting time not only for the charity, but also for our current and potential partners as we reach out to thousands more disadvantaged and disabled young people to give them a sporting chance.”
