Big brands go blue for mass cricket charity day

Some of Britain’s biggest brands are turning their logos blue on Saturday 22 August to support a joint cricket charity day at the Kia Oval during the Investec Ashes.

Waitrose, Investec, Yorkshire Tea, Etihad, Kia and Marston’s are among those getting on board for the day in aid of ‘Cricket United’; a joint fundraising appeal by three leading cricket charities: Lord’s Taverners, Chance to Shine and the PCA Benevolent Fund.  

As England and Australia battle it out on the pitch for one of sport’s most coveted trophies, a host of England Cricket and Test Match Ground Partners have agreed to change their advertising perimeter boards to light blue to help the charities raise awareness by turning the ground into a ‘sea of blue’ for the day.

England team sponsor, Waitrose, has agreed to change their logo from green to blue on the players’ Test match shirts on 22 August. Both the England and Australian cricket teams will bear the Cricket United logo on their shirt collars for the day to show their support.

Waitrose is also providing cricket fans with blue Cricket United T-shirts, for a voluntary donation, to help raise funds.

Investec, England’s title sponsor of Test match cricket, will turn the cricket stumps and bails blue on the day for the first time in England’s Test match history. 

Broadcasters including Sky Sports’ David Gower, David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd, BBC’s Michael Vaughan and Geoffrey Boycott and Channel 5’s Mark Nicholas will play their blue part. They will all be wearing blue suits supplied by McCann Bespoke Tailoring.

Events & Sponsorship Manager for Waitrose, Jeremy Hall said, “It was an easy decision to support Cricket United. We’ll be changing from green to blue at the ground for the day and hopefully we can all raise significant funds for three fantastic charities.”

Angus Porter, chief executive of the Professional Cricketers’ Association, one of the beneficiaries, added, “We’re very grateful to all the partners for getting behind Cricket United. It makes a huge difference to the success and impact of the day. Together, we can help improve lives through cricket.”

Last year, the charities raised £65,000 from their joint awareness day and they are hoping to raise even more this year. The funds are split evenly between the charities and will help Lord’s Taverners provide more opportunities for disadvantaged and disabled young people to enjoy the benefits of playing cricket and other sports; Chance to Shine to spread the power of cricket in schools and communities; and the PCA Benevolent Fund continue to run a confidential helpline, providing advice and treatment to players suffering from mental health issues.

Cricket United is supported by the England and Wales Cricket Board and Surrey County Cricket Club. For more details on how to get involved, visit cricketunited.co.uk