Durham Cricket Foundation is delighted to announce that Go North East will continue as the front-of-shirt sponsor for the Durham Visually Impaired (VI) Cricket Team for a third consecutive year.
This long-standing partnership plays a vital role in supporting the county’s only visually impaired cricket team, made up from players with partial or total sight loss who represent Durham in ECB competitions.
The team uses adapted equipment and modified rules to ensure the game is inclusive and competitive. Fixtures take place across the North, with players often travelling across the region to proudly represent Durham – making the backing of Go North East, the region’s largest bus operator, especially meaningful.
Go North East provide complimentary travel passes to VI players, helping remove one of the major barriers faced by people with visual impairments. The bus operator also funds transport to away games across the country, ensuring players can travel safely and confidently.
Ben Maxfield, Business Director at Go North East, said: “We’re excited to continue supporting Durham Cricket’s VI Team this season.
“At Go North East, we’re committed to making our services accessible to everyone – our buses are equipped with next-stop audio announcements to assist visually impaired passengers. Backing Durham’s VI team reflects our continued commitment to inclusivity in our community.”
The Visually Impaired team is run and supported by Durham Cricket Foundation as part of its disability cricket programme.
Graeme Weeks, CEO of Durham Cricket Foundation, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Go North East for their continued support of our Visually Impaired team. They are a key partner of the Foundation and their backing allows us to provide meaningful opportunities for visually impaired players – opportunities that are so important to us as an organisation.
“For people with visual impairments, transport can be a real challenge. Thanks to this partnership, we can offer players complementary bus passes and arrange team transport to away games, ensuring they can compete and represent Durham without barriers. This long-standing relationship gives us security and consistency for the team and helps us make sure cricket is accessible to everyone in our community.”
The Durham VI squad has a busy 2025 season, with fixtures scheduled across the country as part of the BCEW competitions. Training takes place year-round, and the team is always looking to welcome new players of all ages and sight levels.
For more information about the Visually Impaired Cricket visit: Visually Impaired Cricket – Durham Cricket.