Essex Cricket appreciates 'sensational' feedback for their Coronavirus Outreach programme

Anglia
Cricket
Essex County Cricket Club
Essex
Tuesday 14 April 2020 at 12:20pm

Essex cricket Head Coach Anthony McGrath admits its a strange time for everyone associated with the sport as the Coronavirus pandemic continues to dominate.

The professional game is on hold until late May at the earliest and most of the first class counties, including Essex, have placed their players on furlough leave.

But while they wait until they get the green light to start the new domestic campaign, last season's double-winners have been playing their part reaching out to those most at risk to the pandemic and also supporting the key workers on the frontline of the outbreak.

The Outreach campaign started with current and past members of the playing squad, plus McGrath and first team scorer Tony Choat, contacting our Members aged 70 years old and over.

The call campaign has so far reached over 1,000 people and will continue to run throughout the isolation period.

In addition to this, Essex players volunteered to help with the ‘Supporting Humanity’ charity who are based near the county's former ground in Leyton.

The aim of the charity is to provide hot meals to vulnerable people in the community, as well as the ICT/ICU NHS workers at 13 hospitals in parts of London and Essex.

"The Outreach programme, which the players are fully engaged with, the players and staff have been absolutely superb. "The members' calls, which probably started first... just ringing the ones we thought might be vulnerable or living on their own... the players are ringing round most days, just checking on members, seeing how they are, seeing how they're coping. "The feedback we've had back at the club is sensational. I think everyone's really appreciated it. "From our side it's not really a big challenging thing to do. It's just picking up a phone and chatting to people who come and watch us and support us through the year." "The success we've had is from a foundation of our own local players from that local community. "Up to nine, even ten sometimes, the players in the first team come from the Essex area. "So reaching out to the players in the community, it's the lifeblood in the club, the people who support us, sponsors, it's our chance to give a little bit back as well."

Essex Cricket Club Captain Tom Westley helping to prepare meals for the Supporting Humanity charity Credit: Essex CCC

In addition to this, Essex players volunteered to help with the ‘Supporting Humanity’ charity who are based near the county's former ground in Leyton.

The aim of the charity is to provide hot meals to vulnerable people in the community, as well as the ICT/ICU NHS workers at 13 hospitals in parts of London and Essex.

The club is also supporting the Essex Community Foundation's ‘Essex Coronavirus Response and Recovery Programme’.

The programme aims to get help quickly to voluntary and community organisations that are helping older and vulnerable people, and those that are in crisis and need emergency funding to keep their vital services running.

Essex have also launched a Just Giving page to support both charities in the fight against COVID-19.

Meanwhile the work goes on behind the scenes at Essex's headquarters in Chelmsford, even though the Cloudfm County Ground has been closed to the public since late March.