The Roy Simpson MBE Foundation was delighted to hand over its first donation in April to support Peterlee Cricket Club’s superb All Stars and Dynamos programme.

Since the formation and registration of the Foundation in March 2025, the trustees have been working hard to raise funds through a variety of different projects and events.

From a Charity Cricket Match in June, to Sportsman’s Dinners events with former Sunderland stars Kevin Phillips and Grant Leadbitter as well as a hugely popular Christmas quiz, it’s been a busy 12 months for us!

Our first donation was always going to be a memorable one – and we thought it was extremely fitting that it went to Peterlee Cricket Club, which held a special place in Roy’s heart.

The All Stars and Dynamos scheme was the perfect fit too, delivering fun weekly cricket sessions to boys and girls aged 8-11 to help them build their confidence and ability.

Our grant of £750 has allowed the club to invest in brand new equipment such as bats, gloves and pads to help ease the burden on parents of children who are making the important transition from the soft ball to the hard ball form of the game.’

“This donation is something that we know Roy would have been proud of because the All Stars and Dynamos programme is right up his street,” explained Foundation Chair, Mark Simpson.

“He absolutely thrived on seeing youngsters being introduced and enjoying playing cricket so for us to be able to help make it easier for even more children to get involved is everything we wanted to do when we formed the Foundation.

“We want to broaden our reach across the area but I think it makes perfect sense and is really quite humbling for us that our very first donation will benefit Peterlee Cricket Club.”

James Pratt, Youth Development Lead at Peterlee Cricket Club added: “We’re incredibly grateful to the Roy Simpson MBE Foundation for their support.

“The transition from softball to hardball cricket can be a significant financial barrier for families, particularly in areas of high deprivation, so providing access to expensive kit such as bats, pads and gloves will help more children continue their cricket journey.

“This support will create opportunities, encourage participation and make our sport more accessible to young people across our community.”

If your child is interested in taking up cricket, please consider signing up to FREE All-Stars (ages 5-8) and Dynamos (ages 8-11) programmes at Peterlee Cricket Club.

These 12-week introductions to fun softball cricket run every Saturday morning for girls and boys.

For All Stars use the code MZU4X and click here to sign-up.

For Dynamos use the code YL99D and click here to sign-up.