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Founded in 2013 in conjunction with then NSW-Batsman/Wicketkeeper Ryan Carters, Batting for Change has become an incredibly important initiative for The LBW Trust. Reminding supporters that their small change can change a life, Batting for Change hosts events across the summer to engage supporters from school students through to Corporate Partners and fans of the BBL T20 tournament held annually in Australia.
For the first time in 2017, Batting for Change hosted the inaugural BFC Corporate Challenge. Eight teams, ranging from Propertylink to Macquarie Bank, donned whites to partake in an 8-a-side round robin tournament hosted at Shore College in Sydney on December 1, 2017. With the inaugural trophy taken out by the team from MBS-Pitcher Partners, Batting for Change founder Ryan Carters took the opportunity to remind all that partook of the importance of our fundraising, with Heartland founder Pat Price and So They Can co-founder Keri Chittenden speaking earnestly about the impact of the funds raised by this tournament on their respective projects in Nepal and Tanzania.
On January 13 2018, 300 supporters of Batting for Change came together at the Sydney Cricket Ground for the first-ever Batting for Change Cup Pre-Match Party. Replacing the pledge-per-6 model that has been run in conjunction with the Sydney Sixers since BBL|04, the Pre-Match party saw supporters come together for an afternoon of family fun in the sun, with live music and entertainment, as well as fun and games for all ages. Supporters heard an humbled recount from BFC Ambassador Stephen O'Keefe, who was fortunate to visit a BFC/LBW supported project in 2017 whilst touring with the Australian test team. Supporters then marched to a dedicated bay of seats in the stadium, where the Sydney Sixers won the BFC Cup for the first time at home in a nail-biting final ball finish.
Batting for Change also hosted two BFC XI matches this summer, at Barker College in November, and at The King's School in February. These matches are a terrific opportunity to connect with the next generation of cricketers, reiterating the message that every dollar we can give can go such a long way to transforming the lives of young men and women in developing, cricket playing nations. A huge thanks to all involved at both schools for helping us to spread this message.
All up, more than $250,000 has been raised by the initiatives of Batting for Change this summer. A huge thank you to every player, supporter, sponsor and attendee that helped BFC and The LBW Trust to make this their best summer, yet!