CA announce partnership with Lord's Taverners

Cricket Australia and Lord’s Taverners Australia have announced a three-year partnership that is hoped will generate more than $2 million to fund CA's A Sport For All Program.

Lord's Taverners, who on Tuesday night inducted Test great Adam Gilchrist as its inaugural national ambassador, is a charitable organisation that distributes funds to worthy causes, primarily in the areas of Indigenous cricket, blind cricket, cricket for the deaf, cricket for the intellectually impaired and female participation in sport.

The relationship between the two parties will see the realisation of the Sporting Chance Fund that will help fund CA's A Sport For All Program, which focuses on the engagement of girls and women, multicultural communities, Indigenous Australians and people with a disability through cricket.

CA CEO James Sutherland said the partnership with Lord's Taverners would complement the existing sponsorship of the A Sport For All Program by the Commonwealth Bank.

"By 2020, we are hoping to inject in excess of $2 Million back into our A Sport For All Program, which will assist grass roots cricket throughout Australia in expanding and improving the experience for participants in their diversity programs," said CA CEO James Sutherland.

The Australia branch of Lord's Taverners was formed in 1982 and now has grown to 11 branches in all states and territories of Australia with some 2,500 members.

Gilchrist's elevation to national ambassador is a continuation of a long association with the charity; his father Stan launched a branch of the Taverners on the northern NSW coast more than a decade ago.

Australia's greatest wicketkeeper-batsman was only too happy to help his father's work, knowing full well how much support he had received in his junior cricket days.

"There's no doubt a lot of time, financial investment, emotional investment comes from a lot of your supporters, not least your family and particularly your parents," Gilchrist said last month.

"Mum and Dad paved the way for me to be able to pursue my dreams, so it's nice to support Dad and Mum, and the Taverners' work, and repay them a little bit for sure.

"I'm thrilled to be able to support it, and support all the programs that they run and provide for young disadvantaged people who are looking to pursue their dreams."