Lanes Group has agreed a two-year deal to sponsor Middlesex County Cricket Club’s performance programme for disability cricket.
The national drainage and maintenance specialist is providing financial support towards coaching, venues, sports kits and player expenses for disability teams run by the Middlesex Cricket Board.
Conrad Ashby, Thames Water Managing Director for Lanes Utilities, said Lanes Group is delighted to back an excellent county cricket programme that supports local communities, providing high quality coaching and expanded opportunities for players with a range of disabilities.
He added...
“Middlesex County Cricket Club has demonstrated how its Disability County Performance Programme is giving disabled players an equal chance to excel at the highest levels in cricket.
“We’re impressed with the club’s commitment to supporting involvement in sport for people with all abilities, and have seen how their work is transforming the lives of participants, and making everyone aware that cricket is a sport for all.
“As a company, we’re keen to play a full part in the local communities we serve. Helping disabled and disadvantaged people participate in sport, and young people to enjoy a healthy lifestyle, makes this an excellent opportunity for us.”
Middlesex County Cricket Club’s Chief Executive, Vinny Codrington, commented...
“Here at Middlesex County Cricket Club we believe passionately that the game of cricket can fundamentally change lives, and this can be no clearer seen than through the work our Cricket Board are doing within the county with our Disability Cricket Performance Programme.
“Offering young people with disabilities the opportunity to express themselves, build friendships, develop confidence, grow as individuals and live healthier, more active lives is a huge part of what this programme was set out to achieve, and it’s wonderful that we’re now seeing rewards of a lot of hard work come to the fore.
“Funding programmes like the DCPP is a constant challenge for us, and to have secured Lanes Group as a sponsor for the programme for the next two season allows us to continue to invest in this hugely worthwhile area of cricket within Middlesex, and allows us to achieve the ambitious goals we set out to deliver.
“Our thanks go to Lanes Group for their involvement and investment in the Programme and we look forward to a close and fruitful partnership with them moving forwards.”
Lanes Group is the UK’s leading specialist drainage and maintenance solutions provider. Its operations in the London area include its main utilities HQ in Slough and its rail division depot at Rainham, in Essex.
Lanes Utilities provides the UK’s largest wastewater network maintenance service for Thames Water which covers Greater London and the Thames Valley region, with more than 14 million customers.
The sponsorship agreement covers the 2015 and 2016 cricket seasons, and all four categories of disability cricket being supported by the performance programme – physical disability, learning difficulty, deaf cricket and sight-impaired cricket.
More than 30 players are being coached and supported through the programme, ranging in age from young teenagers to adults, many of whom come from disadvantaged family and social backgrounds.
Middlesex CCC takes a fully-inclusive approach, with disability players and teams given equal access to the club’s world class training facilities, and equal recognition in all publicity material.
Its disability teams play against other counties in two England and Wales Cricket Board leagues, one called Super Nines, which uses a softer cricket ball, and the D40 League, which uses a standard hard ball.
Middlesex CCC’s disability performance programme has been running for less than three years, but is already nurturing talented players who are considered to have the potential to go on to play international cricket for England.
There are high hopes for success throughout the summer ahead, for what is still a young and relatively-inexperienced squad.
For more information about Lanes Group please visit http://www.lanesfordrains.co.uk/
