Warwickshire County Cricket Club’s Official Charity the Edgbaston Foundation has made a fitting tribute to the late Edgbaston tour guide and friend of the Club Rick Coleman by naming him as the Community Hero for 2020.
The Edgbaston Foundation is also making a lasting tribute to Rick by awarding him a stone in the Bear & Ragged Staff Wall and through renaming its Community Award, which is presented annually to the Warwickshire player who has made the biggest community impact over the course of a year, as the Rick Coleman Community Award.
Rick, who passed away aged 77 in June, spent 20 years giving schools, cricket clubs and community groups tours of Edgbaston, whilst he also played a key role in development of the Edgbaston Foundation’s cricket-inspired education programme, the Edgbaston Classroom.
“Rick gave so much time to Warwickshire CCC and in the development of the Edgbaston Foundation and it’s right that his fantastic efforts are never forgotten, through this initial Community Hero accolade and through the newly named Rick Coleman Community Award.
Ravi Masih, Head of Community Engagement at Warwickshire CCC and Lead of the Edgbaston Foundation
“Even whilst his health affected how often he could get to Edgbaston in the 12 months prior to his passing, Rick still wanted to play his part and earlier this year he supported the Edgbaston Foundation in a joint project with the National Literacy Trust called ‘Young Birmingham Poets’. Here he provided inspiration for the children to create poetry about cricket and Edgbaston Stadium
“He is sorely missed by the many of us who were lucky enough to work with him over the last 20 years and we are very grateful that we can continue working closely with the Coleman family to honour Rick’s great community legacy.”
The Edgbaston Foundation launched its Community Hero accolade in 2019 and presented its first award during the Ashes Test match to Joel Hales-Waller for his support in establishing the Cricket Full Circle programme, which he also volunteered as a delivery coach.
Learn more about the Bear & Ragged Staff Wall
For further information about the Bear & Ragged Staff or to purchase a stone, please click the link below.
