FRIENDS LIFE

Friends Life Reward Six-hitters with a Donation to PCA Benevolent Fund

Support for the Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA) Benevolent Fund by Friends Life reached a new milestone in the match between Hampshire and Kent, when the hundredth televised six in this year's Friends Life T20 competition was struck by Kent's Darren Stevens.

Friends Life have pledged £100 for each six hit during Sky's broadcast coverage, and this milestone takes their donation to the charity past £10,000 - half way to the target of raising £20,000 across the competition as a whole.

The six-hitting charts in this year's Friends Life T20 competition are currently led by Marcus Trescothick of Somerset, who has hit 17 sixes and 51 fours so far, meaning that 75% of his aggregate score of 407 runs have come in boundaries.

Angus Porter, Chief Executive of the PCA, said: "This year's competition is proving to be particularly hard-fought and exciting, and well over half of the Counties retain realistic prospects of qualifying for the knock-out stages"

Karen Burrell, Head of Marketing Services at Friends Life, added: "It is wonderful that the players' efforts are entertaining the crowds and generating money for the Benevolent Fund into the bargain. We are delighted to be supporting such a worthy cause".

PCA Benevolent Fund Benefits from Friends Life partnership

The recently announced partnership between the Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA) Benevolent Fund and Friends Life is already yielding dividends for the charity.

A key element of the partnership, designed to raise both awareness and funds for the Benevolent Fund, sees Friends Life donating £100 for every six scored during Sky Sports televised Friends Life T20 matches, and the donation ticked up to £5,000 in just the tenth televised match tonight between Glamorgan and Essex, when Graham Wagg blasted the 50th televised six so far, putting the initiative well on track for its target of raising £20,000 during this year's competition.

The single biggest contribution so far has resulted from the efforts of Abdul Razzaq, who smashed five sixes on his way to an unbeaten 62 from just 30 balls, guiding Leicestershire to a thrilling four wicket win over Lancashire at Old Trafford. The overall six-hitting charts for the competition are headed at this stage by Roelof van der Merwe, who has crashed twelve sixes in his four innings so far for Somerset.

David Graveney, Chief Executive of the PCA Benevolent Fund, said: "It is great to see the skills of today's players making such a direct contribution to the work of the Benevolent Fund, and Friends Life's generosity will allow us to support more past players in need"

Karen Burrell Head of Marketing Services at Friends Life added: "The Friends Life T20 competition is cricket at its most exciting, and we are delighted both that the crowds and television audiences are being treated to a feast of six-hitting, and that every six struck during a televised match earns money for such a valuable cause."

Professional Cricketers Turn to Friends

The Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA) are delighted to announce that Friends Life is to become lead sponsor of the PCA Benevolent Fund (Charity No: 1120088).

Following a four year existing relationship with the PCA, Friends Life will this year strengthen its commitment to the well-being of past, present and future cricketers by offering both an array of support services and a financial donation to the PCA Benevolent Fund.

As part of Friends Life's commitment to the PCA Benevolent Fund, the company has agreed to donate £100 to the charity for every 'six' that is hit during the Sky Sports televised games throughout the competition.

David Graveney, Chief Executive of the PCA Benevolent Fund, said: "The Benevolent Fund does great work to support players, ex-players and their families with medical, financial and other problems. Friends Life's support will allow us to support more deserving cases, and we are immensely grateful." David Ford, Chairman of the PCA Benevolent Fund Board of Trustees added: "This is great news for all those cricketers, past and present, who are receiving help from the Benevolent Fund, or may need to call on it in the future. Friends Life have been great supporters of English cricket for a number of years, and it is tremendous for us that as well as investing in the sponsorship of the Friends Life t20 competition they are prepared to offer financial assistance and practical help to cricketers who have fallen on hard times."

Trevor Matthews, Chief Executive Officer Friends Life, said: "At Friends Life we are passionate about looking after our five million customers. In today's challenging economic environment savers in the UK have to navigate much financial uncertainty and cricketers are no exception. Through our association with the PCA Benevolent Fund we can help alleviate some of that financial worry and provide guiding hand through our financial education services. Both the shortened career span and hectic lifestyle of professional cricketers can often mean long-term financial planning falls by the way-side but we hope to address this through our new relationship."

For further information please contact Angus Porter (07584 262083) or Jason Ratcliffe (07768 558050).