Australia Day honour built on the back of cricket’s charitable heart

Swan went on to become a bat maker with the Gray-Nicolls company in England before returning as the managing director of Gray-Nicolls Australia, which he ran with distinction for many years in the latter part of last century. Swan, who moved to Melbourne, also took The Crusaders concept with him and has run it with a group of volunteers for the past 45 years. He has well and truly paid forward the generosity that Rowe and Jarman bestowed upon him.

Former NSW spinner Mike Pawley has similarly helped by employing hundreds of budding young sportsmen and women in his eponymous sports shops, as has Harry Solomons of KingsgroveSports.

Mick also runs a terrific charity (and school) called Happy Days which educates poor children in Cambodia.

I have had the privilege of being closely associated with a handful of NGOs and have seen first-hand the tremendous sacrifices and hard work their office-bearers and volunteers put in to help those in the community who are less fortunate. Cricket should be proud of them and they are deserving of unstinting public support and recognition.

Here is a list of some of them and their work:

The Primary Club has, since 1974, provided sports and recreation opportunities for people with disabilities. Their marquee fundraising event is the Test Breakfast, held on the first day of the Sydney Test. Eminent broadcaster Jim Maxwell is president and they have dedicated, long-time volunteers like Rick Glover.

One of my fondest Primary Club memories is of playing in a cricket match fund-raiser at their former Lemon Tree ground at Dooralong in the mid 1970s, where I got to play against my childhood hero, Neil Harvey. Harvey, who had by then been retired for more than a decade, rolled back the years with a masterful innings on a damp wicket. As he had done in his prime, he made batting look effortless as he danced down the wicket or rocked onto the back foot to pierce the field with exquisite timing and placement.

The McGrath Foundation is probably the best-known cricket charity and an enduring legacy to Glenn McGrath’s late wife, Jane. It funds Breast Care Nurses for individuals suffering from breast cancer. The third day of the Sydney Test has become synonymous with the McGrath Foundation and helps it raise millions of dollars.

The Steve Waugh Foundation is helping improve the quality of life for children and young people living with rare diseases in a holistic manner. Steve and Lynette Waugh do an outstanding job and have devoted thousands of hours and raised millions. The Captains Ride, a multi-day road cycle tour, is their main fundraising event.

Loading

Ricky and Rianna Ponting run The Ponting Foundation dedicated to doing everything possible to help young Australians and their families beat cancer. James Henderson, Ricky’s manager, is the honorary CEO.

The LBW (Learning for a Better World) Trust was co-founded in 2006 by the late Peter Roebuck along with Darshak Mehta, Mike Coward and Peter Strain. Darshak chaired it for a decade before passing on the baton to David Vaux, 5 years ago. The Trust helps educate over 1500 disadvantaged young men and women in eight cricket-playing, developing countries.

The Bradman Foundation promotes cricket as a valuable cultural and sporting force within the community. It collects and displays the heritage of the game in its museum in Bowral. Maurice Newman was, until recently, chairman and the board includes former PM John Howard.

Taverners Australia supports and improves the lives of those less able in the community, by affording them a chance to participate in sport. Now 36 years old, it has tens of branches. I am aware of the good work in particular of Stan Gilchrist (father of Adam), foundation chair of their Northern NSW chapter.

And finally, a plug for The Chappell Foundation. It raises funds to ameliorate youth homelessness in Australia and supports six organisations doing incredible work at the coalface. Chaired by the indefatigable Darshak Mehta, the board includes redoubtable journalists Malcolm Knox, Peter Lalor and Peter Alford. The marquee fundraising event is their annual dinner at the SCG. What is unique is they run on the smell of an oily rag and have no overheads, office or employees. Totally voluntary.

Apart from the cricket legends, I would like to recognise sportsmen and women as well as entertainment industry icons in this country, who give their time so selflessly to these and other charitable organisations doing stellar work.

One memorable occasion was at The Chappell Foundation’s second annual dinner, where the legendary Jimmy Barnes was the special guest. Jimmy accepted our invitation instantly and then enthralled the 550 lucky guests on the night with his personal story and concluded with an a capella rendition of one of his father’s favourite songs. It was one of the most moving moments that I have ever experienced. Brought the house down.

I have no doubt that it also melted the heart of fabled ad-man John Singleton, for he spontaneously signed a pledge form for an incredible $1 million to the Chappell Foundation, there and then.

Cricket Australia have been highly responsive and have supported and regularly engaged with several charities including most of the above. As an organisation, they are acutely aware of their social contract. In my experience, the South Australian Cricket Association, CNSW and the SCG Trust have also been magnanimous in their support of cricket charities.

On a personal note, I am humbled to be recognised and dedicate my recent honour of being made an officer of the Order of Australia to the hundreds of selfless volunteers and generous benefactors who have enabled cricket charities to survive and thrive.

“The simplest acts of kindness are by far more powerful than a thousand heads bowing in prayer.”
― Mahatma Gandhi