Bishop Saju is to lead a cricket team in a match designed to celebrate unsung heroes in the community at the High Sheriff’s Community Awards.
Leicestershire County Cricket Club (LCCC) has confirmed further details for the inaugural ‘Connecting Communities’ Cricket Match at Uptonsteel County Ground, Grace Road, Leicester, this September.
In collaboration with the High Sheriff of Leicestershire, the Club’s former Chairman Mehmooda Duke MBE DL, LCCC will open its gates to launch the ‘Connecting Communities’ Festival and Charity Cricket Match.
The match and festival which will be followed by the High Sheriff’s Community Awards to celebrate unsung community heroes, which will also raise money for the LCCC Foundation. It will take place on 6 September 2022:
• 3pm Community Festival opens
• 4pm Community Cricket Match begins
• 7.30pm Community awards and reception for the players, and High Sheriff’s invited guests
Mehmooda Duke MBE DL, High Sherriff of Leicestershire, said: “This is an important collaboration between the community, LCCC and the LCCC Foundation, which is indicative of the Club’s ongoing commitment to engage with the diverse communities of the City and County. The festival aims to engage with women, girls, children and families who may never have visited the ground whilst a Hundred game is being played.
“Community members including Krupa Bhatt, Kauser Patel, Uzair Makadam, Shirin Mansur, Simon Winfield, Romail Gulzar of Pukaar News, Byron Dixon OBE of Micro – Fresh, Rajesh Modha of Finance Lab, Mark and Diana Esho of Easy Internet and Access Rating and Commander Yakub Ismail are just some of the team members helping to make this event possible.
“This game gives an incredible opportunity for members of the community to meet, get to know each other and play cricket on a LCCC wicket.”
Sean Jarvis, Leicestershire CEO, said: "We are really looking forward to hosting the inaugural Connecting Communities match. It represents the perfect opportunity to unite our county's diverse communities, celebrate its unsung heroes and raise money for the LCCC Foundation."
The Captains:
The match will be spearheaded by Bishop Saju, Bishop of Loughborough, a huge cricket enthusiast, and Nirav Bhatt, expert in property management, and captain of the Shree Sanatan Cricket Club 1st Team.
The two teams will comprise a diverse group of the community, including different faiths, ages, backgrounds, genders, as well as different organisations and professions.
The fixture, which is set to start at 4pm, will be played in the Hundred-ball format, with the teams to be announced shortly.
The Festival:
The festival is to be run in partnership between the LCCC and the community, providing cricket related activities, entertainment, food, drinks and stalls reflecting the County’s diverse community.
The High Sheriff’s Reception and Awards:
‘The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others’ – Mahatma Gandhi
The City and County of Leicester and Leicestershire would come to a standstill if it were not for the volunteers on the ground who freely give their time, energy and passion for nothing in return, to so many different areas of community life.
Serving the community is a labour of love and so often goes unrecognised.
The High Sheriff of Leicestershire invites you to help her find individuals who deserve recognition for their contribution to community life, who embody the values of Mahatma Gandhi’s motto and are deserving of the High Sheriff’s Awards in these categories by encouraging people to put forward nominations.
1. Sport
2. Education
3. Health
4. Law and Order
5. Charity
6. Different Ability
7. Women and Girls
8. Children and Young People
The awards reception will take place at the home of Leicestershire County Cricket Club (Uptonsteel County Ground) in the Charles Palmer Suite at 7.30pm on 6 September 2022 for the players of the community match, the winners and the High Sheriff’s invited guests.
The awards will be a relaxed event and will take place as part of the celebrations following the High Sheriff’s Community Cricket Match and Community Festival.
Award sponsorship enquiries: Krupa Bhatt 07944 253 644 and Kauser Patel 07903 213372
Stall enquiries: Shirin Mansur 07944 936 738 and Uzair Makadam 07963 788723
Fundraising enquiries: Simon Winfield 07896 626 862
Awards Enquiries: Awards@highsheriffleicestershire.com