CricketForce T-shirt, 2011

This white T-shirt, now just a little bit grubby, was worn by a member of NatWest staff during the 2011 NatWest CricketForce weekend. The wearer was one of some 85,000 volunteers, including hundreds of fellow NatWest staff, who worked tirelessly at 1,914 cricket clubs over three days in April 2011 to improve their grounds and facilities before the season began.

What could evoke England more than a game of cricket on a sun-drenched village green? Local cricket clubs may be at the heart of the community, and of key importance in the development of the sport at a grassroots level, but more often than not they are run on a shoestring and heavily reliant on volunteers. NatWest has long been aware of the need for such clubs to mobilise community interest and support. The NatWest CricketForce was devised to do just that, by helping thousands of clubs to lay drives, paint fences, build pavilions and more, all through the voluntary efforts of bank staff and local people working together.

helping employees to support the causes that matter most to them

NatWest has sponsored cricket in one form or another for more than 30 years, including a long-term commitment to supporting the sport at a community level through programmes like NatWest CricketForce. Yet this is only one strand in the bank's approach to getting its people involved in local communities. Employee volunteering with selected charity partners is encouraged during working hours, and staff who support their communities individually through fundraising and volunteering in their own time can claim a cash award for their chosen charity or group.

All these schemes are designed to help employees, whoever and wherever they are, to support the causes that matter most to them. NatWest Group recognises that its staff are one of the things that most strongly roots it in the communities it serves, so where better to start its community giving?