First donation from The Roy Simpson MBE Foundation helping Peterlee Cricket Club youngsters play
A new North East charity started in memory of a passionate advocate for local cricket was delighted to hand over its first donation to support young players.
The Roy Simpson MBE Foundation was founded last year by Roy’s family to act as his legacy and raise funds for youth cricket to ensure as many youngsters as possible can enjoy the sport.
Roy was a passionate advocate for local cricket, particularly at Peterlee where he filled a number of roles over the years, which saw him being awarded an MBE at Buckingham Palace in 2015.
He died in September 2024 following a battle with dementia.
Since the formation of the Foundation, the trustees have raised funds through a variety of projects and events including dinners with former Sunderland stars Kevin Phillips and Grant Leadbitter, and a charity cricket match in Peterlee last summer.
The Foundation has now made its first donation of £750 to Peterlee Cricket Club’s All Stars and Dynamos programme.
The money will be invested in new equipment such as bats, gloves and pads to help ease the burden on parents of children who are making the transition from soft to hard ball cricket.
Roy’s son and foundation chair Mark Simpson said: “This donation is something that we know Roy would have been proud of because the All Stars and Dynamos programme is right up his street.
“He absolutely thrived on seeing youngsters being introduced to and enjoying playing cricket so for us to be able to help make it easier for even more children to get involved is everything we wanted to do when we formed the Foundation.”
James Pratt, Youth Development Lead at Peterlee Cricket Club added: “We’re incredibly grateful to the Roy Simpson MBE Foundation for their support.
“The transition from softball to hardball cricket can be a significant financial barrier for families, particularly in areas of high deprivation, so providing access to expensive kit such as bats, pads and gloves will help more children continue their cricket journey.
“This support will create opportunities, encourage participation and make our sport more accessible to young people across our community.”
The free All-Stars (ages five to eight) and Dynamos (ages eight to 11) programmes run at Peterlee Cricket Club every Saturday morning.