Charity cricket day brings out the stars

RECORD-breaking former England batsman Mark Ramprakash will be among celebrities and sports personalities out in force for a charity cricket day in Bournville, Birmingham, later this month.

The day is a repeat of a successful event last year which raised thousands for charity, and will take place just a day before Edgbaston plays host to the ICC Champions Trophy.

The event is organised by the Bill Lloyd Memorial Trust and will be held at Bournville Cricket Club on Saturday, June 22. It will raise cash for disability cricket in the West Midlands and the Army Benevolent Fund.

Highlight of the day will be a 40 over match between the England National Physical Disability XI and a British Army XI. Other attractions will include cricket coaching sessions for youngsters from Mark Ramprakash and other cricketers, the England and Wales Cricket Board Cricket Factory, the ECB 12th Man Hub, an all-girl jazz quartet and a charity auction in front of the pavilion.

There will also be a wide variety of stalls selling souvenirs, books, food and drink and ice cream.

Celebrity and VIP guests on the day will include Mike Gatting in his capacity as ECB managing director of cricket partnerships.

The Bill Lloyd Memorial Trust was set up in memory of Birmingham cricket enthusiast Bill Lloyd who died from cancer in 2007, aged 64.

Anyone wanting information about the day, or wishing to make donations to the charity auction can contact David Lloyd on 07764 378066.

Walkers, runners and cyclists in half marathon to remember banker

A GROUP of corporate financiers have swapped their calculators for running shoes to raise funds in memory of a former colleague and respected member of the Midlands business community.

The half marathon event, which is being organised by Ian Tetsill from Barclays, is taking place on July 6 and will start at Barclays’ regional headquarters in Snow Hill, Birmingham, and finish at The Molineux, home of Wolverhampton Wanderers FC.

David Burrows, former head of Barclays’ acquisition finance team, tragically died following a road traffic accident in 2003. David was an avid Wolves supporter and the event is being supported by former Wolves striker, Steve Bull, one of David’s heroes.

Ian Tetsill said: “We wanted to organise an event to mark this milestone anniversary of David’s passing in a positive way. He was a great colleague and friend and we thought it fitting to organise an event which would help to mark the ten year anniversary of his passing and raise funds for the Teenage Cancer Unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital – a charity that was close to David’s heart.”

Pledges of support can be made via a JustGiving page at https://www.justgiving.com/rememberingdavidburrows.

BRENDAs raises £26,000 for charity

THE BRENDAs, the annual light-hearted charity event for the local commercial property sector, has raised £26,000 for good causes.

This year’s event, staged at the Burlington Hotel in Birmingham and attended by 360 influential property professionals, collected money for Property for Kids and C.H.A.R.M.S – Children’s Hand and Arm Surgery at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

With a theme of ‘How to look good in property’, the show was hosted by Jilly Cosgrove of Barques Design and Ed Gamble, of CBRE.

Awards – a collection of sprayed golden garden gnomes – were presented to nine brave participants who each received radical makeovers.

These included Kathy Toon, of SGH Martineau, who received some serious tattoos to aid her after work look, while Louise Brooke-Smith, of Brooke-Smith Planning, released her inner rock chick.

The most popular lot in the charity auction, conducted by Simon Robinson of GBR Phoenix Beard, was a weekend in a luxurious ski chalet donated by David Delaney-Hall of Webb Gray. The lot raised £5,000 towards the charity fund.

Organiser Jilly Cosgrove said: “Once again all our friends involved in commercial property across the Birmingham area have shown how very generous they are by helping raise more than £25,000 for C.H.A.R.M.S.”