“Sport has a way to connect with people that nobody else can.”
Earlier today, Surrey County Cricket Club announced the second annual Proud Surrey T20 match will be taking place on Sunday July 2nd, against Essex at The Kia Oval.
Much like in 2022, the game will be presented in association with Proud Surrey – the official Surrey LGBTQ+ supporters group.
This year, however, Surrey are also partnering with LGBTHero – the national health and wellbeing charity for LGBTQ+ people – as the official charity partner for the match.
LGBTHero are based in Lambeth, close to The Kia Oval, and ahead of the announcement we spoke to CEO Ian Howley about the importance of these kinds of events.
Ian said: “These types of matches and these types of events have a good way to be able to have an impact on our communities, to be able to make life better, and to make a change so that LGBTQ+ people can live happier, healthier lives.”
He added “Sport has a way to connect with people that nobody else can and to be able to have a lasting impact, to make lives better for LGBTQ+ people. When it comes to trying to tackle many of the inequalities that LGBTQ+ people face, sport has a big part to play in how we can change attitudes in society.”
This will be the second such event in the history of Surrey County Cricket Club, with last year’s inaugural event seeing Surrey claim victory against Kent Spitefires in what was a tremendous celebration at The Kia Oval.
When asked if the sports industry is becoming more accepting of the LGBTQ+ community, Ian said: “A lot has been done, especially in the last decade or so, in regards to the Stonewall Rainbow Laces campaign and the campaigns against homophobia within different various parts of sport, but it’s only a start. There’s a long way to go.
“I think it’s absolutely fantastic that during Pride Month a lot of sporting bodies reach out to communities to try to make a difference, but our lives are not just one day. Our lives are not just one month. Our lives are all year round.
“It’s important for these sporting bodies to be a visible ally throughout the year because they have the chance to make a difference for our communities.”
Scroll down to watch our interview with Ian Howley, CEO of LGBTHero, in full.
Tickets for the Proud Surrey T20 are available to buy from £1 for U16s and £27 for adults are available here.
