For 70 years we have worked together to support and develop grassroots cricket in communities across the UK and protect parks and green spaces. His late Royal Highness had a long history with both charities, having been President of Fields in Trust for 64 years and the Lord’s Taverners' Patron and "Twelfth Man" since it was founded in 1950. His recommendation that the first Lord’s Taverners donation be made to Fields in Trust (then the National Playing Fields Association) started an enduring partnership which has strengthened recreational opportunities in this country.
HRH The Duke of Edinburgh takes part in a charity cricket match in the 1950s
The Duke speaks about the partnership between Fields in Trust and Lord's Taverners in 2013
His Royal Highness is presented a silver salver marking £1 million in donations from Lord's Taverners
Players join forces after a pro-celebrity cricket match between the two charities in 2015
At an event at St James's Palace in 2013, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh was presented with a silver salver by Fields in Trust Chairman Tim Phillips CBE, to mark £1 million in donations from the Lord's Taverners. Two years later, to celebrate Fields in Trust's 90th anniversary, the two organisations took part in a pro-celebrity cricket match at King George V Playing Field in Sonning.
"The Lord's Taverners have been proud to be a supporter of Fields in Trust since we were first founded in 1950, and are delighted to have donated over £1 million towards their work. Retaining outdoor spaces for people of all ages to enjoy is a necessity in an ever more crowded country - and Fields in Trust has played a key role in ensuring that many of those spaces will be available for years to come."
