An update from our CEO

Hi all, 

As we move towards the summer and the cricket season gathers momentum across the country, May has been another incredibly busy and inspiring month. It has been a month that reflects what makes this charity so special - the passion of our volunteers and supporters, the dedication of our staff and partners, and, most importantly, the young people whose lives are being changed through our programmes.

Earlier this month, we held our Annual General Meeting, providing an important opportunity to reflect on another successful year for the charity and to look ahead to the opportunities and challenges still to come. I would like to thank all of our members who attended, contributed and continue to play such an important role in shaping the future of the Lord’s Taverners. Our members remain at the heart of everything we do, and your continued commitment enables us to keep growing our impact across the UK and beyond.

The AGM was also a chance to recognise the tremendous work happening throughout our regions and programmes. Every year I am reminded how fortunate we are to have such a passionate community behind us - people who give their time, energy and expertise to ensure more young people can overcome the challenges of inequality through cricket.

One of the standout moments of every Taverners year is our National Table Cricket Finals at Lord’s, and the day following our AGM we enjoyed another unforgettable edition of Finals Day, with schools from across the country competing in a brilliant celebration of inclusion and teamwork. Congratulations to Newton Bridge Academy, who were deserved winners of the title, but every young person who took part should feel immensely proud of what they achieved.

Table Cricket remains one of the most powerful examples of how sport can create opportunities and build confidence for young people with disabilities. Seeing the excitement, determination and joy on display at the Home of Cricket was a reminder of exactly why these programmes matter so much. My thanks go to the schools, our staff team, volunteers and families who helped make the day such a success.

We were also delighted this month to celebrate recognition for our long-standing partnership with Berkeley Foundation, which received a Better Society Award in the national commitment to the community category. Our relationship with Berkeley Foundation has now spanned 12 years and helped transform opportunities for thousands of young people living with a disability through our national cricket programme, Super 1s.

Partnerships like this are vital to the long-term sustainability and growth of the charity, and I would like to thank everyone at Berkeley Foundation for their unwavering support, commitment and belief in our mission over more than a decade. Together, we have achieved so much already, and we are excited about what the future holds.

May also saw an incredible fundraising effort from our team of runners at the Edinburgh Marathon Festival. I want to congratulate every member of Team Tavs who trained, fundraised and crossed the finish line whether it be a 10k, half-marathon or full marathon run in support of the charity over the Bank Holiday weekend. Their efforts will help us continue delivering life-changing programmes for young people facing the challenges of inequality.

A special thank you must also go to the team from The Final Word podcast, whose support, enthusiasm and fundraising energy helped make the event such a success for the fourth year running. The Final Word community continues to show extraordinary generosity towards the Lord’s Taverners, and we are deeply grateful for every person who supports and has contributed to what is now over £100,000 raised for the cause since the first Tavs Edinburgh running team was assembled in 2023.

Our summer of golf events are very much underway with places still available at a number of days coming up soon (insert link). This week I was very fortunate to play at Piltdown Golf Club, in Sussex. A huge amount of thanks goes to new Tavs member Tsol Keoshgerian, who very kindly chose to support the Tavs in his year as Captain of Piltdown GC. The Captain’s charity day event raised over £15,000 with a number of former England players and other professional Taverner supporting cricketers in attendance. Mike Gatting, Andy Caddick, Monty Panesar, Gus Mackay, John Simpson, Luke Wright and Fynn Hudson-Prentice were all there to add some stardust to the event and Tavs very own President David Gower hosted an entertaining post-round luncheon, auction and Q&A. It was certainly a great day had by all. Thank You Tsol for choosing the Tavs! 

If anyone is going to be Captain of their golf club or knows someone who is and is looking to follow in Tsol’s footsteps by supporting the charity in this way with a similar event, please do get in touch with the team.

Finally, May has also been a month of sadness following the passing of Scott Hastings and Judith Chalmers.

Scott was a hugely respected figure whose warmth, generosity and commitment to charitable causes touched many lives. He supported the Tavs at various events including our annual cricket match at Cholmondeley Castle and will be missed greatly.

Judith was a much-loved broadcaster and President Emeritus of the Lady Taverners after being one of the first 23 honorary members of the fundraising arm of the charity. Her kindness and enthusiasm for the charity will be fondly remembered by all who knew her.

On behalf of everyone at the Lord’s Taverners, I would like to extend our sincere condolences to her husband Neil, family and friends. We are so grateful for the support Judith gave to the charity over many years.

As ever, thank you to all of our members, supporters, partners and volunteers for everything you do for the Lord’s Taverners. Every event attended, every pound raised and every hour volunteered helps us create opportunities for young people to thrive.

We look forward to sharing more updates with you as another exciting summer continues and hopefully, I see you at some Taverners activity soon.

Best wishes, 
Mark Curtin