Sage sponsored The Hundred Cricket Tournament

The Hundred Cricket Tournament has captured the public’s imagination by making a sport traditionally associated with five long days of often slow play into a colourful spectacle that brings entertainment and sport together. As well as being played in a faster, 100-ball format and televised live in family-friendly prime time viewing slots, these matches give equal prominence to the men’s and women’s games. This makes it the perfect platform for Sage – and the Sage Foundation in particular – to promote equality and diversity goals.

Sage’s sponsorship deal includes branding on umpire uniforms and the company is powering the Decision Review System (DRS) for TV broadcasts and the big screens at the host cricket grounds. While this brand visibility is important, working with The Hundred has given Sage the opportunity to engage with the wider community.

Sage sponsored an event to empower children from Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority backgrounds and young women as part of the company’s promotion diversity and inclusivity in sport and in the wider community.

The Reach Next Generation events in Sunderland and Emirates, Arsenal. More than 70 girls attended each event where they heard from diverse and inspiring
female speakers. The wide-ranging agenda covered body positivity, STEM, social media, human rights, health and nutrition, money management and career options.

Sarah Stirk, founder of Reach, described Emirates Stadium as “a really empowering venue for the girls”.
“They’re all buzzing in there, the energy is fantastic and the venue is really important in making that happen,” Sarah said during the event.

Lynn O’Connor, Director, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Sage Belong UK & Ireland said, “Girls can really bring so much to organisations, and we want to really showcase role models for them. We want to give them a much wider opportunity to think bigger and broader than perhaps what’s on our own horizons.”

The speakers represented the worlds of sport, big business, self-made entrepreneurship, music, digital technology, organisations for female empowerment and civil service, all with strong messages to encourage the girls to follow their ambitions and not let anyone or anything hold them back.

“There are so many pressures in life that young people have to face – and they get magnified the most for young women and girls – so [the event was] a great day to give them a safe space to explore issues, to connect with other young women, to go away with new ideas, new insights, new friendships, but also just a little bit more wisdom, which helps them feel stronger and more prepared to face life,” said Alison Oliver MBE, CEO, UK Youth Sport Trust.

Sage has been promoting the work of Chance to Shine, a charity that is on a mission to spread the power of cricket through schools and communities in England, Wales and Scotland. In particular, Chance to Shine has been working with children from Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority backgrounds, girls and areas where there are limited opportunities to get involved with cricket.These outreach events have given children the chance to not only learn more about the game, but to engage with leading cricketers, such as English all-rounder Moeen Ali and Danielle Wyatt, who plays for England, Sussex and Southern Brave in The Hundred.

In June, Sage hosted the UKI June Town Hall event at Lords, the home of cricket, where the importance of partnerships was the theme. Roland Butcher, the first Black cricketer to play for England, promotes making cricket and all other competitive sports open to all. At the Town Hall event, he spoke at the panel session about knocking down barriers for young people from underrepresented groups, which is a personal passion of his. Roland has been involved in Chance to Shine’s community outreach events too.

Sage is optimistic that its involvement in The Hundred and these empowering community outreach events is the beginning of more fruitful partnerships that promote diversity and inclusion.