NatWest today launched its fresh partnership with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), becoming the organisation’s Principal Partner and extending NatWest’s 36-year support for cricket in England and Wales.
The ‘Cricket Has No Boundaries’ campaign is designed to showcase and celebrate the diversity of modern cricket in the UK, support the ECB’s aim for a game for everyone and mirror the bank’s own commitment to diversity and inclusion.
The powerful imagery featured in the ‘Cricket Has No Boundaries’ campaign uses authentic real-life examples of the breadth and range of participants in cricket across England and Wales.
Recent research from the ECB demonstrates how the sport is continuing to be accessed by people from across the UK with 30% of recreational cricketers being of South Asian heritage, 5% of all recreational cricketers being registered disabled and an eight-fold increase in the number of cricket clubs offering women and girls cricket over the last 15 years.
Alongside the inspiring outdoor poster campaign is a new partnership with Chance to Shine, the ECB-supported charity that uses cricket to increase aspiration, promote social cohesion and create opportunities for young people in communities and schools across the country.
NatWest is set to become Chance to Shine’s first ever Official Partner, reflecting the bank’s own values and commitment to fairness and inclusion. The bank will provide funding and support to Chance to Shine to help them extend the reach and impact of the programme.
In announcing the partnership, David Wheldon, NatWest Chief Marketing Officer, said:
“We’ve been supporting cricket since 1981, so we’re delighted to extend our partnership to become the principal partner of the ECB.
“Diversity, inclusion and doing the right thing are extremely important to us and that’s why we’re partnering with the ECB as we work together to make sure it’s a sport open to anyone and everyone.
“We’re bringing this to life through the ‘Cricket Has No Boundaries’ campaign and we’re delighted to become the ECB’s principal partner, working with them to make cricket even more accessible to all.”
Tom Harrison, Chief Executive Officer of the ECB, said of NatWest’s new role as Principal Partner:
“NatWest have been one of cricket’s biggest supporters over the course of four decades, putting their weight behind a range of competitions and programmes. This new partnership will see us working even more closely together, with NatWest our Principal Partner supporting cricket from grass roots to international level. They have a deep knowledge of the sport, a respect for its traditions and the drive to help us to further develop cricket as a game for everyone.”
Ebony Rainford-Brent, Director of Women’s Cricket at Surrey County Cricket Club and the first black female cricketer to play for England, added:
“Cricket has made great strides to broaden the range of people accessing the sport. The NatWest partnership is a fantastic way to ensure this great work continues.”
