Battle of Britain Memorial Trust appears on new Kent Spitfires shirt

Kent Cricket is delighted to announce a new partnership with the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust, whose name will appear on the 2015 NatWest T20 Blast shirt to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

The charity appears on the collar of the new Kent Spitfires shirt, made by Samurai Sportswear, which will go on sale in April with a donation from sales going to The Trust, which will become one of Kent Cricket’s official charities for 2015.

Kent all-rounder Darren Stevens had an input into the design and said: “It’s great to see the Club commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of Britain with a limited edition kit.

“I shall be proud to wear the Kent Spitfires shirt and help raise funds and awareness for such a worthy cause.”

The club played tribute to sponsors Shepherd Neame who allowed the Trust to replace its Spitfire Ale collar logo on the 2015 shirt.

Kent Cricket CEO Jamie Clifford said: “Kent Cricket and Spitfire Ale is already a fantastic partnership with our respective brands fitting so closely together. This initiative is a very special extension of that partnership.

“I am delighted that Shepherd Neame has very graciously agreed to donate their collar logo on the new shirt to the Trust and share the Club’s desire to remember the sacrifice made over the skies of Kent during the summer of 1940.

“As part of our long-term agreement, the Club also nominates a match annually as the Battle of Britain memorial match to commemorate the bravery of ‘The Few’ in the skies over the fields of Kent.”

The collection at the designated fixture helps to raise funds for The Wing, a new visitor centre at the National Memorial to the Few at Capel-le-Ferne, near Folkestone.

In 2015, Kent’s Royal London One-Day Cup clash with Lancashire Lightning on Saturday 8 August will be the special charity day for the Trust.

The President of the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust, Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Graydon GCB CBE, said the charity was “absolutely delighted” with the support from both Kent Cricket and Shepherd Neame.

Sir Michael, former Chief of the Air Staff, said: “The 75th anniversary year is very important for the Trust and it will also see the opening of the Scramble Experience within the new Wing building at Capel-le-Ferne.

“We rely on the support of the public and of organisations such as Kent Cricket to help us look after the Memorial and, in turn, preserve the memory of the aircrew who defended this country against invasion in the summer and early autumn of 1940.

“We are proud to have our logo on the NatWest T20 Blast shirt and we hope it brings the team every success this season.”

The shirt will be revealed next week before it goes on sale at Kent Cricket Shop at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence and The Battle of Britain Trust Shop in Capel-le-Ferne.

Click here to pre-order the new shirt and/or make a donation to The Trust