Vitality Blast Finals Day 2020 will see both funds and awareness raised for the Professional Cricketers’ Trust as this year’s domestic season comes to a close.
Finals Day, which this year takes place on Saturday 3 October at its usual home of Edgbaston, will see the PCA collaborate with the ECB, Sky Sports and Vitality to showcase the life-changing and often live-saving work of professional cricket’s leading charity.
Fans watching at home will be able to text to donate to the Trust, whilst other fundraising activities will include an online auction and raffle, as well as the sale of merchandise adorned with the Professional Cricketers’ Trust logo.
Items on offer include bespoke hoodies, caps and t-shirts, all available to order from the New Balance website.
Following on from their ‘First-Class Walk’, which raised over £1,000 for the Trust, the umpires on the day will also be sporting the Trust’s colours in the form of armbands and caps throughout each of the day’s three fixtures.
Testimonials from Trust beneficiaries will also be broadcast live on Sky Sports Cricket, informing cricket fans as to what the charity means to a number of their cricketing heroes, whilst players representing each of the four finalists will use bat grips featuring the Trust’s colours.
The Professional Cricketers’ Trust is a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping current and former professional cricketers who have fallen on hard times, as well as their immediate families.
Life-changing assistance offered by the Trust includes the provision of a Confidential Helpline, run by our partners at Sporting Chance, specialist medical equipment, emotional counselling and more.
The work of the Trust bears extra significance in a year when a higher-than-average number of players will leave the game amidst the financial uncertainty caused by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
In addition, 2020 has seen the charity face a shortfall of up to £250,000, as a result of much of the PCA’s annual events calendar being wiped out. As a result, the need for support from the cricketing community and general public alike has never been greater for the Trust.
The PCA membership has already come together to support the Trust in a number of ways this year. The #Charity10for10 campaign saw over £30,000 raised for the charity, whilst the individual fundraising stories of Andy Moles, Keith Newell, Sam Relf and more have inspired many to give what they can back to the Trust.
Finals Day will see those stories given the same air time as the top performers in the international and domestic game as the NatWest Cricket Awards are also set to take place. The day will see the cricket family come together as players lucky enough to win awards are brought together with those who have been forced to call upon the support of the Trust.
Former England opener and Professional Cricketers’ Trust Director Marcus Trescothick said: “A huge credit must go to the ECB, Sky Sports and Vitality for collaborating with the Trust to support the players’ charity on this year’s Finals Day.
“Having appeared at numerous Finals Days, I know as well as anyone what a momentous occasion it is, so it’s brilliant to have the opportunity to put the Trust under the spotlight and raise both funds and awareness.
“We look forward to receiving a valuable boost in a year when both the charity and the players have been under unprecedented strain.”
ECB Managing Director of County Cricket, Neil Snowball, said: “The Professional Cricketers’ Trust plays a significant role in our game and its value is deeply appreciated across the county network.
“The opportunity to showcase the Trust’s vast work during Vitality Blast Finals Day will provide another highlight to what is one of the best days in the domestic cricket calendar.”
