Yorkshire County Cricket Club Expands Cric-Kit Initiative With Vertu Support
Vertu has joined forces with Yorkshire County Cricket Club to expand the popular Cric-Kit initiative, offering more people across the region with the opportunity to participate in the game.
Operated by the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation, the Cric-Kit initiative was launched back in 2022 to allow people to donate their unwanted cricket equipment and, following a year-long pilot scheme, now operates from locations in Leeds, Sheffield and Bradford.
Donations made at the three hubs have been recycled and reused by the Foundation across the region to help break down barriers to community participation, making cricket more accessible and inclusive, and giving countless people the opportunity to play the game for themselves.
Vertu, the fourth largest automotive retailer in the UK, extended its partnership with Yorkshire County Cricket Club earlier this year to take up the role official live stream partner and will now work with the Yorkshire Foundation to create a fourth Cric-Kit hub.
The new hub in York was officially launched to coincide with the seven wicket Metro Bank One Day Cup victory over Lancashire, and will expand the reach of the Cric-Kit initiative to an even wider audience.
Robert Forrester, Chief Executive of Vertu, said: “We are delighted to work with the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation to expand the hugely successful Cric-Kit initiative.
“Having already helped break down some of the barriers that prevented people from participating in the sport, we look forward to widening the reach of the programme to allow more people to get involved with the creation of the fourth hub.
“This is a central part of the work that the Foundation does in the community, and we share their passion to help boost the number of people who are able to play the game.”
Sohail Raz, Diverse Communities Manager for the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation said: “We’re incredibly proud to see the Cric-Kit initiative extend its reach to a new hub in York, breaking down further barriers and making cricket accessible to all.
“This expansion would not be possible without the continued commitment of Vertu whose support is helping the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation create a lasting impact across communities.
“Together we’re ensuring that no cricketer is held back from playing the game they love because of the cost or lack of access to cricket equipment.”