LONDON – The cargo division of Virgin Atlantic has teamed up with two cricket charities – Bat For a Chance and The Catch Trust, in a bid to help support their goals of providing underprivileged children around the world with cricket kit and equipment.
All three will work together throughout 2023 continuing the agreed programme of kit donations throughout the world.
The Catch Trust, who has a passion for providing community cricket-led initiatives, and has been supporting the Khayelitsha township in the Western Cape of South Africa since 2014.
Working with its global freight forwarding service, the Woodland group, Virgin Atlantic Cargo has already helped Bat For a Chance deliver 18 bags worth of cricket equipment to struggling communities throughout South Africa.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to be continuing our partnership with Bat for a Chance to bring our expertise in transporting cargo to such a worthy project.”
“We’re also grateful for the support of our freight forwarding partner, Woodland Group, in supporting this shipment,” said Phil Wardlaw, Managing Director at Virgin Atlantic Cargo.
Bat For a Chance is a charity that was set up in 2018 by teenager and junior cricketer Will Gaffney. Created with an aim of being able to furnish children around the world with the means to begin playing cricket.
Having played in Sri Lanka at age 16, Will saw first hand how much he could make a difference to the under privileged in the area.
He said: “There was a real lack of kit and reflecting on the tour a couple of years later, I sent out some emails and that’s how we came about.”
Since getting the charity off the ground, and in such a short period of time, Gaffney has been able to pull in some big names from the cricketing community to help the charity go from strength to strength.
Sri Lankan cricket legend Kumar Sangakkara has already helped out by handing over bags of kit and boxes of equipment.
Donations such as softball kits to refugees in Lebanon, kitting out the Sierra Leone national team and also being able to help a UK based Afghan refugee by providing him with his first set of pads for hardball.
Hand in hand with The Catch Trust, whose primary purpose is to create and support sporting and life skills in low income areas, where there is a distinct lack of facilities and coaching on offer.
Virgin Atlantic Cargo is proud to partner with both initiatives and is happy to be supporting their goals of providing those less fortunate with what could prove to be life defining sporting gear to the youngsters around the world.
“At Virgin Atlantic, our purpose is to empower everyone to take on the world and use our business as a force for good, through our communities, our people, and our partners.”
“Partnering with Bat for a Chance means Virgin Atlantic Cargo is able to bring a real opportunity for children to participate in this wonderful sport and experience the joy of cricket, in South Africa and across the world.”
