PCA England Legends are ‘Proud to Pitch In’

When they haven’t been busy entertaining crowds around the country this summer, a group of PCA England Legends have been getting involved with Greene King IPA’s ‘Proud to Pitch In’ campaign, helping award cash grants to community sports clubs.

Legends regulars Warren Hegg, Jade Dernbach, Ryan Sidebottom, Usman Afzaal, Mark Alleyne and Mal Loye have all joined judging panels over the course of the year, discussing applications from across the sporting world and helping decide who would most benefit from the funds and have a lasting impact on the community.

The ‘Proud to Pitch In’ initiative was launched by the Legends’ Lead Sponsor back in October 2021 and sees the Suffolk-based pub retailer and brewer donate 10p from pints and 50p from 4 x500ml can packs of Greene King IPA sold into a community sports fund. Grassroots clubs are able to apply for funding for specific projects, and periodically a judging panel comes together to award individual grants of up to £3,000.

Applications range from cricket and netball clubs to archery and bowls, all seeking help with projects to improve equipment, facilities and coaching, to make it possible to continue growing and playing the sport they love.

To date, over 100 projects have received funding, supporting over 20,000 beneficiaries. Over £250k has been handed out, with the aim of giving away £1m to clubs by the end of 2023.

PCA England Legends and former Lancashire and England wicketkeeper, Warren Hegg, said: “It was fascinating to hear about the various candidates and their worthy bids, from needing female dressing rooms to new lawnmowers. The judging process was very precise with serious discussion on important topics, but also lots of fun. I believe we made the right decisions selecting all the successful applications, and it was a pleasure to be involved.”

Greene King Marketing Director for Brewing and Brands, Will Hemmings, said: “Having the PCA Legends join our panels for our Proud to Pitch In initiative has been an honour. It was our pleasure to offer an opportunity for the Legends to get involved and contribute to something that can have such an impact on people’s lives.

As the Legends will know, grassroots clubs are essential up and down the country. They are not only a great social outlet, but also brilliant for mental and physical health and we are passionate more than ever to support community clubs with funding to continue to play the sports they love. The Proud to Pitch In initiative is a continuous pledge from Greene King IPA to create a lasting impact for thousands of clubs across the UK.

PCA Senior Player Partnerships Manager, Erin Caldwell, said: “Having our players so closely involved with this campaign has been a fantastic way of bringing the Legends and Greene King IPA’s partnership together. It’s been great to give the players the opportunity to learn about Greene King’s commitment to community sport, and for them to make a tangible impact by contributing to the judging process.”

 ‘Greene King IPA’s Proud to Pitch In’ is open to all grassroots sports clubs in the UK with participants aged 18 and over. Applications are still open and more details can be found here: https://www.greeneking-pubs.co.uk/proud-to-pitch-in/