Go North East has extended its sponsorship of the Durham Visually Impaired (VI) Cricket Team for a third consecutive year.
As well as being a front-of-shirt sponsor, the operator will continue to provide complimentary travel passes for players and cover the cost of transport to away fixtures across the country.
The VI team is run by the Durham Cricket Foundation as part of its disability cricket programme and is believed to be the only one of its kind in the country. It competes nationally using adapted equipment and modified rules to ensure the sport is inclusive while remaining competitive.
Fixtures take place across the country, with players travelling from across the region to represent Durham. Go North East’s support ensures the team can compete at a high level while being confident it can travel safely.
Says Ben Maxfield, Business Director at Go North East: “We’re excited to continue supporting Durham Cricket’s VI team this season.
“At Go North East, we’re committed to making our services accessible to everyone — our buses are equipped with next-stop audio announcements to assist visually impaired passengers. Backing Durham’s VI team reflects our continued commitment to inclusivity in our community.”
Adds Graeme Weeks, CEO of Durham Cricket Foundation: “We are incredibly grateful to Go North East for its continued support of our VI team. They are a key partner of the Foundation and their backing allows us to provide meaningful opportunities for visually impaired players – opportunities that are so important to us as an organisation.
“For people with visual impairments, transport can be a real challenge. This long-standing relationship gives us security and consistency for the team and helps us make sure cricket is accessible to everyone in our community.”