The Batting for Change team would like to send a big congratulations to two of our ambassadors, Alyssa Healy and Moises Henriques, following the Australian Cricket Awards last night.

Alyssa Healy, star wicketkeeper for both the Australian team and the Sydney Sixers, was crowned the best cricketer in Australia as she took home the Belinda Clark Award for the first time. She also won the inaugural individual ODI Player of the Year and T20I Player of the Year awards. LBW Trust ambassador Ellyse Perry finished fourth in Belinda Clark Award voting and third in T20I Player of the Year award voting.

Meanwhile, Moises Henriques was celebrated for his efforts off the field and won the inaugural Community Champion Award. He spent much of the last year paving the way for a more open conversation about mental health, and we are proud of everything he has been able to accomplish.

This Saturday at the SCG marked the second annual Batting for Change Cup. This year's trophy was taken home by the Sydney Sixers, who also managed to secure their place in the BBL|08 finals in the process.

Batting for Change had an epic day, with our Official Pre-Match Party taking place before the main event. Thank you to the 250-strong crowd who came out to show their support and stayed to dance with us in the rain as we cheered on the match. Your support helps us to make a very powerful statement about how we can all come together to change lives through education. Proceeds from the event will help us support transformative educational opportunities for young students in India and Sri Lanka.

Another big thank you goes out to all of our sponsors and partners, including Nexba, Young Henrys, Robert Oatley Wines, Bacardi, the Sydney Sixers, the Sydney Thunder, and the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Head on over to our Facebook page for more photos from the day. And, of course, while the summer is nearing an end, it's not too late to donate!

The second annual Batting for Change Corporate Challenge took place yesterday and featured eight teams vying for the Corporate Challenge Cup. The team from MBS defended its title and took home the trophy for the second straight year! Despite a strong challenge from Credit Suisse in the final, the reigning champions won again. Other teams included Crestone, Evans Dixon, GenesisCare, Macquarie, Propertylink, and Zurich.

Amazingly, the eight teams and their supporters raised almost $120,000, which will support the education of several hundred students studying in rural India. This total highlights the ongoing success of Batting for Change and emphasises the impact that all of our supporters have on levelling the global playing field in education.

This event would not have been possible without the support of St. Joseph's College for use of their venue, Kingsgrove Sports for supplying playing kit, Nexba for their sugar-free soft drinks, and Young Henrys for their refreshing beer.

Click here to view more photos from the event! And if you would like to inquire about having a team in the 2019 Batting for Change Corporate Challenge, please contact us.

Tickets for the second annual Batting for Change Cup Official Pre-Match Party are now on sale!

The inaugural party in January this year was a great afternoon of fun and entertainment to reach our fundraising goal, made even sweeter by a last-ball win from the Sixers to clinch their first ever BFC Cup at the SCG! The combined event and fundraising campaign made a powerful statement about the importance of education for every woman, worldwide.

Our team would love to see you at our Pre-Match Party on February 2, 2019, from 4.30pm, and we’d love it even more if you could bring along a few friends - it’s a great gift for all the cricket fans in your life! This year, we’re trying to double the number of attendees to make an even greater statement about the way we can come together to change lives through education, but we can’t do it without you. Help us to raise $100,000 through this event, to support transformative educational opportunities for hundreds of disadvantaged young women in India and Sri Lanka, in partnership with The LBW Trust.

What better backyard is there in Australia than at Kirribilli House?

In conjunction with Nova and Fitzy & Wippa, Batting for Change hosted the first Backyard Cricket match on Friday 23 November in the backyard of PM Scott Morrison. Fitzy and Wippa each had a side consisting of various celebrities and lucky radio listeners. In a highly contested match, Fitzy's team ended up with the trophy after a nail-biting finish.

As part of the event, Nova generously donated for each of the first five wickets taken, resulting in a $25,000 donation that will go an extraordinarily long way in supporting tertiary education for young women in India.

Celebrity players at the event included Scott Morrison, Guy Sebastian (who took home most valuable player honours), Sam Frost, Karl Stefanovic, Brett Lee, Tom Williams, Mel McLaughlin, and Ed Cowan.

A big thank you to Nova for their generous support and to the Prime Minister's office for hosting such an amazing event!

Last year's Batting for Change Corporate Challenge featured an afternoon of cricket and fun and contributed to BFC's successful summer-long fundraising campaign. This year, the Corporate Challenge is back and is primed for more success.

Last year's winner, MBS, is returning to defend its title. Challengers this year include Credit Suisse, Crestone, Evans Dixon, GenesisCare, Macquarie, Propertylink, and Zurich. The event will take place on Friday 7 December at St. Joseph's College in Hunters Hill.

The eight teams will get to play on the beautiful grounds of St. Joseph's College, with the winner of the tournament awarded with the Batting for Change Corporate Challenge Cup. Teams will be treated to a post-tournament barbecue as the sun sets.

In the lead-up to the event, each team will have the opportunity to fundraise for the projects Batting for Change supports in India and Sri Lanka. The team with the highest fundraising total will get first selection of celebrities to coach them on the day of the event.

We can't wait for another fun afternoon in the sun!

We are excited to share that the Heartland College, the LBW Trust’s partner project in Nepal, has announced several key achievements from the past year.

The most notable of these achievements is that the Nepali Ministry of Education has officially recognised the Heartland College’s course in Education as a formal qualification for teaching and has endorsed the college to now act as a formal provider and facilitator of this course at the tertiary level in Nepal.

This formal recognition is quite an accomplishment, as it was only granted to 10 institutions country-wide out of over 1,400 that had applied during the two-year application process. In order to be formally recognised, education providers must have incredibly high standards of management proficiency and student academic records. We are proud of the Heartland College for meeting such strict requirements. The Education stream of study will join the existing Science stream and Management stream as a course offering for students.

The Heartland College has also excelled at the national level due to the superb overall performance of its students, especially its female students. The college is one of the only institutions in Nepal to actively support youth scholarship education, including to women from marginalised backgrounds. At the conclusion of this past school year, the top three graduating year 12 students were all female.

Finally, Heartland College is making big strides in both STEM education and community development. The college has begun a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) program, which is a project-based learning approach meant to develop critical thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving skills in the context of local and broader Nepal. So far, student projects have included the creation of portable solar-powered lights, composting, water filtration, and internet coding and robotics. Additionally, new student-led projects focusing on community development across Nepal include a rubbish and recycling program, a career counselling program, and a school and community library.

The impact of the Heartland College doesn’t stop at graduation, however. Alumni data shows that over 85% of 2017 graduates have received full-time employment, with over 70% in their chosen field across careers in Science and Management. A portion of students have also continued their studies at university through scholarships earned due to the excellent academic results they achieved at the Heartland College.

The LBW Trust is proud to be a partner of the Heartland College, and we hope to continue to support academic excellence there with the help of all of our supporters.

As the cricketing season draws to a close, players encourage each other to “winter well”, and while our cricket bats have been gathering dust throughout the colder months, we’re pleased to share with you that the Batting for Change committee have been hard at work, planning for what may be the busiest BFC summer yet! Summer 2018-2019 will see the return of two events established in 2017, the Batting for Change Corporate Challenge, and the Batting for Change Pre-Match party, as well as two BFC XI matches at The King’s School and Barker College.

In its inaugural outing, the BFC Corporate Challenge raised more than $60,000 to support Teachers College classrooms in Tanzania and in Nepal. The tournament was won by MBS Pitcher Partners, who will return in 2018 to defend their title against teams from Propertylink, Genesiscare, Macquarie, Evans Dixon, Credit Suisse, Zurich, and Crestone on December 7, 2018.

During the Big Bash tournament, BFC will once again host the Official Pre-Match Party ahead of the Batting for Change Cup match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on February 2, 2019. This event last year saw 300 Batting for Change supporters gather on the tennis courts and nets adjacent the SCG where they enjoyed live music, food and drinks, fun and games, heard from BFC Ambassador Stephen O’Keefe and LBW Trust Director Mike Coward, and celebrated with Batting for Change Founder Ryan Carters as we tipped over our fundraising target in the last few minutes of the party! This year’s event promises to be a great night out for all ages, and we look forward to sharing more details of this with you in the coming months.

What a day today was! A narrow victory to the Batting for Change XI in the second Annual #kingsforchange match under sunny skies, with some very good and some equally questionable cricketing skill on display!

A huge thank you to our BFC XI: Nick Larkin, Will Somerville, Chris Green, Bernard Foley, Paul Gallen, Ned Hannigan, Jason Little, Isabella Fitzgibbon, Nic Bills, the amazing Kings teachers and not least, to our captain Ed Cowan, for leading the charge and reminding us post-match that it is important to remember what a privilege it is to have access to education like we do in Australia, and to use that as a reminder to help those we can to have opportunities such as ours.

A huge thank you to The King’s School First XI and to the King’s School Cricketing community, parents, staff and friends who made today such a wonderful event. We are so proud to continue to partner with TKS in our vision of levelling the global playing field in education.

Yesterday, 300 amazing supporters joined us for our first Official Pre-Match Party, where they enjoyed live music, food and drinks, fun and games, heard from BFC Ambassador Stephen O’Keefe and LBW Trust Director Mike Coward, and celebrated with Batting for Change Founder Ryan Carters as we tipped over our fundraising target in the last few minutes of the party!

The Batting for Change Cup match between the Sydney Thunder and the Sydney Sixers was hotly contested as always, and it was great to see the Sixers win on the final ball to take out the BFC Cup for the first time at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

A huge thank you to all our supporters, to all our sponsors and partners, and to every single donor, who has helped us to cap off our BBL|07 season on a great high!

We couldn’t do it without you!

On January 13, 2018, the Sydney Sixers will take on the Sydney Thunder at the Sydney Cricket Ground, playing for the Batting for Change Cup.

Before the match, we’re inviting supporters of Batting for Change to join us for the Official Pre-Match Party, being held on the tennis courts and indoor cricket nets adjacent to the SCG. There will be live music, food and drinks, fun and games, and appearances from some outstanding cricketers who support our cause.

Following this, the whole group will march to a bay of dedicated seats, where we will cheer on the Sixers and the Thunder!

Date January 13, 2018, from 4:30pm

BFC Cup Official Pre-match Party 4:30pm – 6:30pm

BFC Cup BBL|07 match 7:20pm

Venue SCG Indoor Cricket Centre, Access through SCG Venue services (adjacent to Cricket NSW)

Cost – Adult ticket $120, Children’s ticket $60

Get your tickets by visiting www.battingforchange.com.au

Yesterday, more than 80 people from leading Australian Businesses came together for the Inaugural Batting for Change Corporate Challenge, and what a day it was!

A huge congratulations to MBS for taking out the Cup, and to runners up Propertylink for a hard fought final. To our other teams, Crestone, Magellan, GenesisCare, SUCC Allstars, Colliers and Macquarie, we could not have done it without your support.

To our rockstar coaches – Ed Cowan, Alyssa Healy, Stephen O’Keefe, Phil Emery, Matt Nicholson, Jon Moss, Ryan Carters and Stu MacGill – THANK YOU! It truly affirms what we do to see brilliant cricketers engaging with our cause and with our supporters.

To our sponsors-in-kind – Penny’s Butchers at Mosman for your delicious barbeque, Nexba for the crisp and refreshing drinks, and Spartan Sports Mosman for our swanky new BFC Kits, we thank you very sincerely. It was a privilege to have your brands supporting our cause.

The money we raised through this event will go an exceptionally long way at The Heartland College in Nepal working with The Centre for Learning and Children’s Rights (CLCR) Australia), and at the Mamire Teacher’s Training College in Tanzania, working with So They Can.

As BFC Founder Ryan Carters said yesterday, “for every young person we are able to support, there is a ripple felt across the world”. Thank you all for helping us transform lives through education.

We had an amazing visit to CandleAid on March 18th, 2017. The organisation's main focus is educational scholarships. They aim to cast a wide net in terms of the students they support, expanding their reach across Sri Lanka. Tertiary education is free in Sri Lanka, so the scholarships provide funding of around $16 per month for additional expenses incurred by the students. These expenses can range from accommodation, to food or loan repayments for educational resources. One student, Janitha, gave an example of how he's studying computer science and using the scholarship to pay off a laptop. The students are supervised by a local coordinator, who meets with them regularly and also account for receipts and use of monies. Sam and I were very humbled at the amount of effort that had been put into coordinating the visit. Around 20 students whom the Trust supports came and visited, travelling from up to 150km away - which is even more considerable given the colourful difficulties of getting around Sri Lanka. There was a real focus on making sure that everyone felt a part of the CandleAid family. The students introduced themselves to the assembled group, briefly telling their stories and what they're studying, as well as offering their thanks to the Trust for the opportunities that these scholarships have given them. A large number of the students also asked the Trust to continue their support so that future students could also receive the same much needed help that they were given. We heard from a recent graduate, Saliya Karunathilaka. He is a product of the previous batch of Trust supported students, having graduated from an engineering degree in 2016. His father, as the main breadwinner, ran away from his family and left the mother to support Saliya and his sister. Saliya spoke with an unbreakable smile, describing his family, education and current job prospects with a dogged optimism. I asked him what he most enjoyed about studying at university. His reply was that he didn't enjoy it - to him, university wasn't meant to be enjoyable. He did it because he needed to in order to support his mother and achieve a better life. I'd never heard a more pure motive for a university degree. Maybe most powerfully was that his mother was invited into the room. After he spoke, everyone gave a round of applause for his mother and what she's been able to achieve through him. Saliya is just one example from a room of many remarkable students. Each of their stories are one part hardship, one part resolve, one part accomplishment. Saliya mentioned that without the support of the Trust, all that he has been able to achieve at university and beyond wouldn't have been possible. Our visit was very much a celebration of the students and a bringing together of the CandleAid family. The organisation is under great leadership, it runs with the proper systems in place, and the students are achieving great things with the much needed support provided by The LBW Trust. See Candleaid for more information.

Ryan Carters, founder of Batting for Change and batsman and wicketkeeper for the New South Wales Blues and the Sydney Sixers, today announced his retirement from all forms of professional cricket.

Carters, an ACT product who began his career with the Victorian Bushrangers in 2009, before shifting to NSW in 2013, is leaving the game to pursue higher education with the goal of leadership and service.

“In Australia, as in many other countries, professional sportspeople have a reach and reputation, an ability to influence, that is far outside the boundaries of their sporting achievements,” Carters said. “I’ve never been more grateful for that than when I founded Batting for Change and watched it grow and directly transform the lives of disadvantaged young women in need of higher education.”

“At the same time, I’ve always been conscious that you can’t play cricket forever. I’m ready to see if I can find a way to work for social change, for greater fairness in life, that doesn’t depend on my sporting pursuits. I’m sure it won’t be easy to do that, so the sooner I can get started, the better.”

Carters, whose career highlights include winning the Sheffield Shield and Matador One Day Cup with the NSW Blues, and scoring 209 against New Zealand while representing the Cricket Australia XI in 2015, has opted not to see out the remainder of his contract with the NSW Blues.

“I am immensely grateful to have represented the NSW Blues, Sydney Sixers and Sydney University Cricket Club. I feel a great fondness for my teammates and the staff at each of these organisations, and I’ll treasure the memories that we share. However, I’m now ready to pursue new kinds of challenges.”

A student of philosophy, politics and economics at the University of Sydney, Carters says the way forward after cricket will start with learning.

“I’ve had twin passions in my life since I can remember – cricket and learning.” Carters said. “I’m at the point where, after eight rewarding years of professional cricket, it’s time for me to follow the other path I’ve always felt as strongly about. I’m looking forward to pursuing further study at home and abroad.”

The founder of Batting for Change expressed special gratitude towards those who have supported the organisation. “I’m very grateful to everyone who has supported Batting for Change over the last four years – whether through a monetary donation or volunteering their time and energy. I’m extremely proud of what we have achieved together, of the hundreds of lives we have helped to change, and I’m even more excited about what we can achieve together in the future.”

Carters will continue to develop Batting for Change in partnership with The LBW Trust.

Batting for Change XI recently competed against The King’s School in a #kingsforchange T20 exhibition match. It was a narrow victory for the Batting for Change XI in the final ball of the innings, but an honourable mention to Baxter Holt and The King's School XI, who played brilliantly right up until the last ball.

A huge thanks to the BFC XI NSW Blues Cricket Ed Cowan, Harry Conway and Nick Larkin, Qantas Wallabies greats George Gregan and Jason Little, the Waratahs Will Skelton, Parramatta Eels Tim Mannah and Beau Scott, Western Sydney Wanderers FC Brendan Santalab, Waqar Younis, and King's Schools Cricket coaches Rod Hokin and Mike Symons.

The star of the day was George Gregan, with Waqar Younis still a fearsome bowler. Wallaby Will Skelton proved to be a better rugby player than cricketer, but was a crowd favourite nonetheless. BFC Ambassador Ed Cowan captained the team very well, and did a splendid job standing in for Ryan Carters, who was playing Futures League in WA.

The day could not have been achieved without a support from the volunteers of TKS Cricket Club and staff of The King's School. With thanks to sponsors Australian Radio Network and Spotless Group, The LBW Trust managed to raise almost $15,000 on the day, and this will go a long way to transforming the lives of young women in developing nations through education.

While the Australian touring cricket team were playing a warm up game in Mumbai, Batting for Change ambassador Stephen O’Keefe also took time to visit SPN Doshi Women’s College in Ghatkopar, a project of the LBW Trust.

“Upon arrival I was greeted by Meena who is the head of the college and she explained to me that her grandfather had started the college. It began as a college with only 7 students, now that number is well over 7000” said Stephen.

Stephen was greeted by the students and beneficiaries of the Batting for Change initiative and The LBW Trust. A young woman explained the stories of some of the students, in English and in Hindi. She described what education and a scholarship meant to them. They dreamt of being professors, animators, school teachers, accountants, lawyers and nurses.

“This took courage, and it was the women’s resilience and gratitude that resonated most. Some were brought to tears, as was I, as they explained that due to financial and other difficulties at home most of them would not have access to fulfil their dreams if not for these scholarships” said Stephen. “Some had sick parents or family members, some had parents who had passed away and some girls worked full time outside of their studying commitments just to provide for their families and themselves”.

“Seeing first-hand the difference that everyone in the BFC family is making to these young women's future and the power of education made me realise just how important the work is that we are doing and will continue to do. We are all changing lives and I couldn't be prouder to be a part of BFC.” A moving and inspiring visit for Stephen.

In a tough night for the Sydney Sixers and Batting for Change, the Sydney Thunder kept their finals hopes alive with an emphatic victory in the second Sydney Smash match of BBL06.

A total of 14 6s across two matches has raised $11,000 for Batting for Change, thanks to the generosity of players from both teams. We’re still a long way short of our BBL06 fundraising target, and would love supporters to visit www.battingforchange.com.au and make a pledge to help us transform the lives of more than 600 young women through education.

Batting for Change was featured on ABC News. You can watch the video here.

Batting for Change was featured on Channel 9 News. You can watch the video here.

In the first match of BBL06, the Sydney Sixers have clinched the first Sydney Smash in a comprehensive victory over the Sydney Thunder, and raised the Batting for Change cup for the very first time.

Players from both teams have pledged a generous $835 for every 6 hit during the two Sydney Smash matches, and we’ll be hoping for plenty of 6s as we strive to raise $150,000 this summer.

The Batting for Change BBL06 campaign is now live! From December 13, we are inviting members of the public to make a pledge, large or small, for every six the Sydney Sixers hit during this summer’s Big Bash competition. This summer, we’re raising funds for 3 incredibly important projects in cricket-playing nations:

In early 2016, LBW Trust Chairman David Vaux stumbled across the exceptional story of Dr Kakenya Ntaiya. A Maasai woman of Kenya, Dr Ntaiya made an incredible bargain, at the age of 7, not be married by 12, and to undergo female circumcision, in exchange for an education. After an incredible journey, Dr Ntaiya received her PhD from the University of Pittsburgh, and founded a school in Kenya, where more than 200 young women are receiving an education, without having to ever experience the consequences of Kakenya’s bargain. The first of these students will graduate high school at the end of 2017, and Batting for Change is proud to be fundraising to support some of these graduates in their endeavours to attend the University of Nairobi. You can learn more about the incredible story of Dr Kakenya Ntaiya here.

For the third year in a row, some of the funds raised in BBL06 will also support 500 new scholarships for the SPRJ Kanyashala Trust College, in Mumbai, India. Batting for Change founder Ryan Carters visited this college in 2015 and you can see the difference the scholarships are making in this video Ryan made during his time there.

Now in its second year, a portion of the funds raised in BBL06 will also support scholarships for 100 young women in rural Sri Lanka, who are entering their second year of tertiary studies after the life-changing opportunities provided by the fundraising on BBL05.

We are so proud to be able to support all of these remarkable women, and grateful for every dollar donated to Batting for Change to aid us in what we do. Thank you to every single supporter, and Smash em Sixers!

In February this year, my husband, Graham, our 26 year old daughter, Megan, and myself were fortunate to have the opportunity to enjoy a fantastic holiday in northern India. Of course, we added Mumbai to our itinerary, so that we could visit the SPRJ Kanyashala College to see with our own eyes the amazing opportunity that Batting for Change has provided for the wonderful young women of this college.

Firstly, we were welcomed by the wonderful Meena, who has been the indefatigable director of the college for many years, who gave us an overview of how the college functions, how it has expanded over the years and the tertiary courses that are available. She told us about the families of some of the young women, that most of them are living in slums and below the poverty line of 60 rupees (AUD $1.20) per day. Many have lost a parent, have many siblings and very little household income. At the college, they also learn about healthy eating, exercise, recycling (not a strong point in Mumbai yet!) and how to help others.

Then it was time to meet some of the amazing young women. They treated us with such respect. They are so immensely grateful for the opportunity they have been given and are studying hard in order to become doctors, teachers, accountants or other occupations of their choice.

We were struck by the collective determination of these inspirational young women. Many of them had a hard time earning their family’s approval of their further education, yet the library was full of these young women choosing to study, heads bent over books or glued to computer screens. The support for each other is amazing. One young girl came up to us and, after explaining that her parents were from the middle class and paid her fees, expressed how grateful she was that her friends whose parents could not afford the fees are also able to continue to study, thanks to Batting for Change. I feel sure that this determination, coupled with the tertiary education they are receiving, will benefit their families, their communities and ultimately their own children.

I wanted to share our experience with you so that you can further appreciate that your support of Batting for Change is changing the lives of these young women. To date, Batting for Change is supporting 500 young women who are now in their second year of their tertiary studies, and another 500 who are in their first year. The goal is for proceeds from this year’s campaign to support a further 500 young women, who will commence their tertiary studies next year. Batting for Change provides one third of the funds needed for a young woman to complete a tertiary course. The college arranges a loan scheme for the rest of the fees where required, which the girls must repay once they are working. This gives them some ownership of the scheme and added determination to complete the course. Just AUD $120 supports a young woman through 3 years of tertiary study to become qualified in an occupation that will ensure her future employment and as provide services for her community. Amazing isn’t it?

Thank you to everyone who supports Batting for Change and we (and the young women of the SPRJ Kanyashala College) look forward to your further support in BBL06 this December – January. I know that Ryan has been overwhelmed by the level of support from family, friends, cricketers (particularly from the Sydney Sixers, the Sydney Thunder and Cricket NSW), cricket supporters, new acquaintances and total strangers who have contributed!

Best of luck for another successful season to the Sydney Sixers and Batting for Change,

Gail and Graham Carters (Proud parents of Batting for Change founder, Ryan Carters)