PPC and the JP21 Foundation has handed over a concrete practice and match cricket pitch to the children and teachers at Spine View Primary School in Rocklands, Mitchell’s plain. The JP21 Foundation was founded by cricketing legend JP Duminy to nurture grassroots cricket talent in the country, particularly in disadvantaged schools. When PPC acquired naming rights for the iconic Newlands cricket grounds it also announced it would partner with the JP21 Foundation by providing the readymix concrete for the pitches.
Speaking at the launch, Jamaine Cloete said, “The Foundation is grateful to have a partner like PPC on board, where we work together to make a sustainable difference in the community and lives of so many young talented individuals.”
Clint Wicomb, PPC General Manager Coastal Sales and Marketing, says that the handover at Spine View Primary was yet another milestone in PPC’s partnership with the JP21 Foundation and, more broadly, with South African cricket. “We believe that cricket, with its code of sportsmanship, and its unique combination of individual and team excellence, is a great builder of character. Character is a product of strength—an individual’s strength and the strength of his or her partnerships—and thus speaks to PPC’s brand promise of Strength Beyond. We provide the materials to build a strong national infrastructure, but we also want to make a contribution to building a strong nation as well.”
Wicomb emphasises that the project is very much a community-focused enterprise. Local contractors were used in the construction of the pitches, and the pitches will also be used for children from outside the school who play in the JP21 Project League. The pitches will thus be a community asset, contributing to social cohesiveness and improve quality of life, “and clear demonstration of what we mean by strength beyond the bag of cement,” adds Wicomb.
The launch event included an interactive coaching clinic, as members of the JP21 Foundation and PPC joined in to show the children of the school just how much fun cricket is.
“We hope that these pitches – as we have handed about five pitches in Mitchell’s Plain over the recent past, will play a role in helping the children in these communities, which today includes Spine View Primary school learners, reach their individual potential while having a lot of fun. And, of course, we hope that we may yet see one or two of them striding onto the turf at PPC Newlands one day!” Wicomb concludes.
