9:00 am, March 13, 2022
Vertu Motors has agreed a new sponsorship deal with Yorkshire County Cricket Club just months after turning its back on the outfit when it became embroiled in a race row.
Vertu has teamed up with with the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation, which is the club’s official charity arm after severing ties back in November.
At the time, Yorkshire was rocked by allegations of racism made by former captain Azeem Rafiq who accused the club of ‘institutionalised racism’.
The 31-year-old gave harrowing evidence to a parliamentary select committee last year and recently accused cricket of ‘dragging its feet over diversity’.
Since Vertu ended its previous relationship, the running of the club has been taken over by Lord Kamlesh Patel who has been attempting to implement changes.
As a result, the Robert Forrester-led dealer group has now decided to sponsor Yorkshire once more through the charitable foundation.
It is hoped the new partnership will help boost the impact of the education work carried out by the foundation, while also supporting vital work carried out by the charity in the community.
Yorkshire Cricket Foundation delivers a number of community projects across the county. It aims to use the power of sport and cricket in particular, to make a lasting, positive impact on the lives of those living in Yorkshire.
The work of the foundation falls under four key themes: education, health and wellbeing, participation, and heritage.
As part of the new deal Vertu will supply a 17-seater minibus as well as funding in a number of different areas.
Will Saville, managing director of Yorkshire Cricket Foundation, said: ‘We are absolutely delighted to welcome Vertu Motors as a new official partner of Yorkshire Cricket Foundation.
‘Vertu Motors is a huge business and a very reputable brand, and the new education focused partnership will help us reach even more people in the community.
‘We are very excited to be working with the Vertu Motors team again and this new partnership is absolutely integral to increasing the impact of our charity work.’
Vertu Motors’ support of Yorkshire Cricket Foundation was agreed after CEO Forrester held crunch talks Lord Patel about his plans to take the club forward.
Lord Patel, chair of Yorkshire County Cricket Club said: ‘I am thankful to Vertu Motors for supporting the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation and sharing our vision that cricket is a game for everyone.
‘Sport should be a driving force for good, bringing us together and uniting us. The support from Vertu Motors will help us to further engage with the local community and help to make cricket more accessible.’
Forrester added: ‘I am pleased that we are able to return to our support for Yorkshire County Cricket Club by partnering with the Foundation, which does such fantastic work in the local community.
‘The Yorkshire Cricket Foundation delivers excellent programmes, harnessing the power of sport to create a fairer society.
‘This is something I am proud that Vertu Motors is involved with.’
Pictured, left to right: Will Saville, YCF managing director, Robert Forrester, Vertu Motors CEO, Nick Robinson, the education manager for YCF and Lord Patel, chair of Yorkshire County Cricket Club
