MPs back NatWest CricketForce 2006

12 May 2006

An Early Day Motion tabled in Parliament backing NatWest CricketForce 2006 has garnered significant support from MPs.

The EDM was tabled by keen cricket fan Paul Truswell MP following the NatWest CrickeForce 200 weekend of April 8/9 - and already had 36 signatories by the time of the first npower Test a month later.

The full text of the EDM, titled NatWest CricketForce volunteering weekend is as follows:

That this House recognises the success of NatWest Cricket Force 2006, which took place between 7th and 9th April at over 1,000 community cricket clubs across the country, bringing in £25 million of investment to rejuvenate the nation's cricket facilities and prepare clubs for the coming season; notes the contribution of the 70,000 volunteers who participated, and in particular the vital role they play in cricket at grass roots level; further notes that the event built on the success of Cricket Force 2005, with almost twice as many clubs involved this year; calls on the Government to regard such volunteering schemes in future as a way of engaging people with their local communities; and hopes that the weekend will mark the beginning of another successful cricket season for all those involved in the game.

The MPs to have signed it by May 12 were as follows:

Truswell, Paul
Anderson, Janet
Penning, Mike
Grogan, John
Evans, Nigel
Spink, Bob
Randall, John
Russell, Bob
Wallace, Ben
Robertson, Hugh
Hoyle, Lindsay
Humble, Joan
Jones, Lynne
Brake, Tom
Breed, Colin
Campbell, Gregory
Caton, Martin
Corbyn, Jeremy
Hancock, Mike
Goodman, Helen
Robinson, Iris
Simpson, David
Crausby, David
Drew, David
Vis, Rudi
Leech, John
Simpson, Alan
Hemming, John
McCrea, Dr William
Cryer, Ann
Anderson, David
Khan, Sadiq
Cable, Vincent
Illsley, Eric
Dodds, Nigel
Ennis, Jeff