Islamic Relief and the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) came together to celebrate their new partnership at Lord’s Cricket Ground during Ramadan this week, as guests broke their fast in the Long Room.
An audience of nearly 200 guests attended the iftar, marking the beginning of a partnership that will see Islamic Relief and the ECB working together in the UK and Pakistan to support disadvantaged communities, and use the power of cricket to engage young people and women from a range of backgrounds.
The first stage of the partnership will see Islamic Relief and the ECB working together to deliver activity at schools in five UK cities; expand the Dream Big Desi Women programme to bring more South Asian female volunteers into cricket; and explore fundraising opportunities outside of Ramadan.
In the longer term, the partnership could be extended to County Cricket organisations across England and Wales, and deployed further to enhance cricket’s social impact throughout the country.
Tufail Hussain, Islamic Relief UK Director, said:“Cricket is a powerful tool to empower young people and women in the UK and in Pakistan. It will offer many disadvantaged communities an opportunity to seek out new ambitions and hopes for their future.
“We look forward to working with ECB and the success of this partnership.”
Nick Pryde, ECB Director of Participation and Growth, said: “We’re very proud and excited to partner with Islamic Relief, an organisation that is committed to helping us connect communities and improve lives through cricket.
“We believe that the partnership represents an important opportunity to broaden our reach within faith-based groups, with a view of building relationships with other national partners. It is a partnership that helps our game become more inclusive and more reflective of the diverse communities within cricket.”
