England fans at the Specsavers Test match against India at Edgbaston Stadium are being urged to dress as superheroes to get behind the NSPCC.
As superheroes famously wear their pants outside their trousers, the NSPCC is calling on fans at the match’s fourth day on Saturday, August 4, to get in the spirit and don fancy dress to back the charity’s PANTS campaign.
The PANTS campaign features cartoon character Pantosaurus encouraging parents and carers to talk to young children about staying safe from abuse.
The PANTS rule is: Privates are private, Always remember your body belongs to you, No means no, Talk about secrets that upset you and Speak up – someone can help.
This will be another great platform to generate even more awareness of the NSPCC’s PANTS campaign. The match will be extra special with the additional celebrations around it being England’s 1,000th men’s Test.
Ravi Masih
Pantosaurus will make an appearance at the Test, while fundraisers will collect donations outside the ground. There will also be a raffle with six hospitality tickets for the Birmingham Bears vs Worcestershire Rapids match on August 17 up for grabs.
The support is part of the year-long partnership between the NSPCC and Warwickshire County Cricket Club’s official charity the Edgbaston Foundation, and follow’s the charity’s presence at the Vitality Blast (T20) clash between Birmingham Bears and Durham Jets at Edgbaston on July 15.
Chris Park, Sports Partnership Manager for the NSPCC, said: “We’re extremely grateful to Edgbaston for showing this fantastic support for the NSPCC and the work we are doing keeping children safe in the West Midlands.
“I hope everyone who goes along to these matches gets into the party spirit and gets behind the NSPCC while also cheering on the Bears and England.”
Ravi Masih, Head of Community Engagement at Warwickshire County Cricket Club. “We’ve got a huge summer of cricket at Edgbaston.
“Last month’s Vitality Blast match was a real success, and with a big crowd expected on day four of the Test, this will be another great platform to generate even more awareness of the NSPCC’s PANTS campaign. The match will be extra special with the additional celebrations around it being England’s 1,000th men’s Test.
“We’re looking forward to working with the NSPCC team throughout the campaign.”
When the partnership was launched earlier this year, Birmingham Bears players Will Rhodes and Olly Stone were given a tour of Childline’s Edgbaston base, where they spoke to counsellors about the vital service that is there for young people who often have nowhere else to turn.
As well as Childline, the NSPCC’s work preventing abuse and neglect includes the Speak Out Stay Safe programme, which visits primary schools across the country and last year reached more than 23,000 pupils in Birmingham alone – helping them spot the signs of abuse and teaching them how to stay safe and get help if they need it.