The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed Toyota as its principle partner and will commit to helping foster new growth throughout the men’s, women’s and disability games.
Toyota will gain new branding and marketing opportunities as the ECB’s latest partner which comes during what is set to be a busy cricket schedule this summer, with the England national team competing in series against the West Indies and Australia.
With one-off test matches also against Zimbabwe and India for the men’s team, Toyota will begin its partnership with the ECB on 1 May with its logo being branded on the men’s, women’s and disabled teams throughout the rest of the year.
Tony Singh, Chief Commercial and Global Growth Officer at the ECB commented: “We’re delighted to now announce Toyota as our new Principal Partner. Toyota will bring its global might to support so many areas of our sport in England and Wales, from the top to the bottom of the game. They have hit the ground running in this respect, with their involvement in grassroots initiatives in recent weeks.
“Crucially, this partnership will strengthen the foundations of our sport. Toyota will help us to introduce more people to cricket, supporting the delivery of our Inspiring Generations strategy and our aim of becoming the most inclusive team sport in England and Wales.”
Central to the partnership is the commitment from Toyota in supporting local cricket clubs and encouraging more youth participation in the sport throughout England and Wales.
The car manufacturer aims to help clubs raise £500,000 this year for equipment and resources, contributing with a platform and marketing materials, plus a prize pool in year one valued at more than £200,000 to support their fundraising efforts.
Building on the shared commitment to expanding the engagement with grassroots cricket, Toyota and the ECB intend to grow the number of recreational participants. This includes investment in the ECB’s All Stars Cricket programme, of which Toyota is the first official partner.
This investment will enable 4,000 children, each year, aged between five and eight, to join the eight-week introduction to the sport for free, taking the total number of free places available this year to 10,000.
Scott Thompson, President and Managing Director at Toyota commented: “By deepening our partnership with the ECB as its Principal Partner for men’s, women’s, disability and grassroots cricket, we can help support and inspire both the current and next generation of players, volunteers and fans who make cricket happen.
“At Toyota, mobility is at the heart of everything we do and through these initiatives, we’re helping more people enjoy cricket, be active and connect through sport.”
