After Upminster last week announced they will host an Essex XI for Ravi Bopara’s 2015 Benefit Year, chairman of the England star’s Benefit Daren Mootoo gives his thoughts on how preparations are going.
When Ravi Bopara asked me to be chairman of his Benefit Year, I was both shocked and honoured at the same time.
I have known him for quite a while through Essex Cricket Club, but as I had learned from being on Alastair Cook’s benefit committee last year, benefit years require a huge amount of time and effort. Having said that, the rewards to be reaped from doing something good like this makes it all worthwhile.
Ravi and I have selected a benefit committee for 2015 that is made up of energetic and enthusiastic individuals, who all bring something to the table.
Organisation and structure was top of my requirements and we having been working hard with preparations, since the autumn of last year.
With 2015 now here, we are putting our plans into action, starting with a big launch night on 21st March at Stock Brook Manor with other dinners and events on the calendar still in the pipeline.
We also feel it is important to involve Essex’s cricketing community in the Benefit Year, so we are playing matches at some of the local clubs around the county.
First out of the hat was Upminster CC, which has been a stalwart in recent years of supporting benefit years.
Ravi will be bringing his Essex colleagues down to play the club and hopefully raise good funds for all concerned, not least our chosen charities Great Ormond Street Hospital, Lord’s Taverners, Magic Bus and the Essex Cricket Community Trust.
We hope to see everyone from Upminster turn out to support us and look forward to a great and memorable day.