Media

Release

from Southend-on-Sea Borough Council

and the Southend Cricket Festival Committee

Community groups, schools and charities across Southend are being given the chance to get their hands on hundreds of free tickets for the 2007 Essex Ford Southend Cricket Festival.

The free give-away looks set to bowl local groups and schools over as Southend gears up for the 2007 summer festival.

 This year’s event will again be held at the Garons Park venue for five days from Wednesday 8^th August to

Sunday 12^th August 2007. The four-day game will see Essex playing against Gloucestershire from

Wednesday to Saturday, with Sunday’s challenge being the NatWest Pro40 match against the Warwickshire Bears

 A number of free tickets are available for every day and will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

 Essex and Southend Sports Trust (EASST) and Southend-on-Sea Borough Council have been working together to ensure other community groups based elsewhere in Essex can benefit from the free ticket give-away also. EASST is a charity that supports sport in Essex and Southend and is granting £7,500 towards the project.

 In previous years there has been a big demand for the free tickets for the festival from a wide range of local community groups. Some of these have included:

 ·         University of the 3^rd Age – a group for the elderly (Southend branch)

·         Southend PHAB – social club for adults with and without disabilities

·         John Grooms – a national disability charity

·         Avro Day Centre (for adults with learning disabilities)

·         Hindu Association (Southend & District)

·         Southend & District Reform Synagogue

·         South East Essex Multicultural Association

 Councillor John Lamb, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council’s Executive Councillor for Enterprise, Tourism & the Environment, says: “We would like as many community groups, schools and charities in Southend to take advantage of this free offer, for what is truly a first class event. The Council has been working together with EASST to ensure that as many community groups across Essex are given the opportunity to attend the festival as possible. I would advise people to book early to avoid disappointment, as this is always a very popular event in Southend’s calendar.”

 Mr Peter Butler, Chairman of the Essex Ford Southend Cricket Festival committee, says: “Essex play exciting cricket with Pakistani leg-spinner Danish Kaneira in great form. EASST is delighted to offer free entrance to a wider audience of deserving groups who can then have a great day out watching top class cricket live in Southend”.

If you are a community group or a school and you would like to take advantage of the free cricket festival ticket offer for 2007, please contact Southend-on-Sea Borough Council on 01702 215119, or you can email southendcricketfestival@southend.gov.uk

For more information about the 2007 Cricket Festival please visit www.southendcricketfestival.org.uk

 Notes to journalists: 

 The Essex and Southend Trust (EASST) is an Essex based charity that supports charitable sporting objectives in Southend and Essex. For further information please visit the website at www.easst.org.uk

 Southend Cricket Festival Committee is a committee of Essex County Cricket Club.