PCA members get MoneyFit with ZavFit

PCA members have been improving their mental health and wellbeing by getting MoneyFit with help from health tech company ZavFit, and the programme is still open for sign-ups from current and former players.

Having partnered with the PCA late last year, ZavFit has provided members with a number of resources to help them focus on removing unhealthy spending habits and instead use their money to improve their general wellbeing.

In total, over 100 members have so far engaged with the programme and its accompanying online resources, which include questionnaires, interactive exercises and informative articles, all designed to encourage players to reflect on their own daily habits.

Included in that figure is the entire 2021 cohort of 55 rookies, all of whom have been following the programme as part of their personal development ahead of this year’s annual Rookie Camp event, which is due to take place virtually on Tuesday 23 February.

Members can still access the programme via their My PCA profile which is accessible via thepca.co.uk, and interested individuals should get in touch with their regional Personal Development Manager (PDM) for more information.

The PCA’s partnership with ZavFit forms part of the Association’s Personal Development and Welfare Programme (PDWP), which aims to enable individuals to excel and develop sustainable performance within and outside of cricket.

Research carried out by BlackRock in February 2019 suggests that worrying about money is the number one cause of mental health problems globally, so the PCA is pleased to have expanded its provisions for members in this area via the ZavFit programme.

Leicestershire seam bowler Dieter Klein is hoping to view money in a more positive way after following the programme: “Money is a big stress factor for a lot of people that can often last a lifetime, so that worry has always been something that I’ve tried to reduce as much as I can. For me, it’s not so much about being responsible with money, but more about actually spending money on things that I enjoy and that are good for my wellbeing.

“ZavFit definitely enabled me to look at money from a different point of view, and helped me to realise what the important things in life are, and that everything you have above that is a bonus.

“The biggest lesson I took away from the programme was that spending money responsibly on things that make you happy is an investment in your wellbeing.”

PCA Personal Development Manager Martin Cropper reflected on the successful rollout of the ZavFit initiative: “After a record number of PCA members reached out to the Professional Cricketers’ Trust for mental health support last year, we hope that the ZavFit programme has so far enabled current, former and future players to reduce their money-related stress.

“The message of the programme has been clear right from the start: that spending money can be used as a positive tool for your wellbeing, rather than being something to worry about. We hope that many more individuals will join the 85 PCA members who have started taking positive steps to improve their wellbeing.”

Find out more about the PCA’s Personal Development and Welfare Programme.

Founded in 2017, health tech start-up ZavFit is the first company to identify and address money stress as a health issue.