ECB Announces Third Coronavirus Relief Scheme
The ECB has announced details of a new emergency loan scheme in order to provide support for affiliated cricket leagues during the coronavirus pandemic.
The new ECB League Emergency Loan Scheme is the third such relief package that the governing body for cricket in England and Wales has announced, and will provide interest-free loans of up to £50,000 to help leagues through the lockdown period and beyond.
Open to all open-age and junior leagues that have been either directly affiliated to the ECB, or affiliated via a partnership agreement with their County Cricket Board, or the National Asian Cricket Council, National Cricket Conference, or Afro-Caribbean Cricket Association in 2019 or 2020.
The scheme will fund the cost of cricket balls as well as unrecoverable costs such as ground hire, the production of league handbooks, kit or equipment purchases or the costs of staging events.
Nick Pryde, ECB’s Director of Participation and Growth, said: “We’re pleased to be able to offer a new League Emergency Loan Scheme to help affiliated cricket leagues during the current shutdown of the sport.
“It has been great to see clubs receiving financial support through national and local government schemes, as well as through the ECB’s Emergency Support Funding, which launched last month. We are now in a position to help the leagues across England and Wales with the costs they will incur in 2020 regardless of the amount of cricket that is played this summer.
“Leagues will be able to apply for a loan of up to £50,000 to cover a number of unrecoverable costs incurred for the 2020 season, as well as assisting towards the cost of cricket balls purchased for the year.
“Everyone across the sport is hoping we will see cricket played across England and Wales this summer and at the ECB we’re working closely with the Government to establish when and how it will be safe to resume play.”
The announcement follows the launch of the ECB’s £61 million Emergency Support Scheme to help both First Class Counties and County Cricket Boards.
