Toyota shares mobility for all message at the Festival of Disability Cricket

Toyota joined the celebrations at the Festival of Disability Cricket yesterday, reinforcing its commitment to helping people of all abilities access and enjoy sports and exercise.

As Principal Partner of the ECB and Automotive Partner of Cricket Ireland and Cricket Scotland, Toyota (GB) is supporting cricket from the grassroots, driven by its “Mobility for All” mission. It is the Official Champion of Disability Cricket and Title Partner of the Disability Premier League, supporting England’s national mixed disability team and the growth of Disability Champion Clubs nationwide.

The day-long festival, hosted by the MCC, ECB and Lord’s Taverners at Lord’s, the Home of Cricket, included a Vitality Mixed disability T20 International between England and India, preceded by a T20 contest between the MCC and Middlesex Disability Team. In addition to the matches, visitors were able to enjoy live entertainment, community cricket open sessions and the chance to play table cricket.

The event also hosted a Disability Cricket Conference at which Emma Johnson, Toyota (GB) Director Brand and Customer Experience, was joined by Barry Lloyd, Programme Manager of Every Body Moves, to talk about the success of the Toyota-sponsored ParalympicsGB platform.

Every Body Moves provides a directory and community of accessible sports and activities for disabled people. Launched in 2023, it continues to raise awareness and promote grassroots participation, encouraging clubs and organisations to list their details and events.

Emma Johnson said: “Today’s festival is a brilliant showcase for the breadth of opportunities for disabled people to enjoy sports, both as participants and spectators. Through our on-going sponsorship of disability cricket and the Every Body Moves platform, we want to help connect as many people as possible with accessible events and activities, true to our commitment to providing Mobility for All.”

ECB Head of Disability Cricket Ian Martin said: “Disability cricket has come on a long way, but we want to share it with more people. We want more people to know it’s there for them, whether that’s to watch or play. The last two years of the Festival of Disability Cricket have been really special. It showcases the elite level of the game with the England Men’s Mixed Disability team, but also what’s available for young people and in the pathways. We’re very grateful that Toyota is supporting all of this through their partnership with disability cricket – it is making a difference at all levels of our sport.”

Barry Lloyd, Every Body Moves programme manager at Paralympics GB, said: “For ParalympicsGB, equitable access means disabled people being able to find opportunities that work for them and feeling confident to take part. Disabled people are almost twice as likely as non-disabled people to say they cannot find suitable opportunities to be active near them. Cricket already has strong inclusive routes into the game. Every Body Moves, powered by Toyota, adds another, putting those opportunities in front of people across the UK who may not yet have cricket in mind. We’re here to champion inclusion and empower more disabled people to be active, but we know we cannot do that alone. We look forward to working more closely across cricket to realise that opportunity together.”

ENDS