Blackburn Rovers to sport charity logo on shirt

Indian owned English Premier League side Blackburn Rovers have signed shirt deal with charity organisation Prince's Trust. This means Rovers have not replaced their contract with Crown Paints which ended at the end of last season with a lucrative new sponsorship deal, but they will rather display the logo of the Prince's Trust charity for free and also support the trust through a number of initiatives throughout the season.



Since 2005 Blackburn Rovers have been running Prince's Trust programmes for disadvantaged young people in and around Blackburn and the club hopes to raise the awareness of the Prince's Trust through the shirt partnership.



Through its partnership with the Premier League and Professional Footballers Association The Trust has helped over 15,000 young people through football since 1997, working with over 60 Premier League and Football League Clubs to deliver a range of programmes that have helped three in four young people in to work, training or education.



Blackburn Rovers is one of few clubs around the world to have done such a shirt deal. The best was that of Spanish giants FC Barcelona with UNICEF which had ended at the end of last season.



Venky's MD Balaji Rao said, "We are absolutely delighted to be able to support The Prince's Trust in such a visible way, particularly at this challenging time for young people in terms of unemployment and limited opportunities. Helping young people is very much at the forefront of our community work in India and this partnership is a perfect way for us to support charities and worthy causes through football over here."



Marketing Director of The Prince's Trust Paul Brown said, "The Prince's Trust is really pleased to have been selected as Blackburn Rovers Charity of the Year in a move which will build on our considerable experience of working with young people through football. We see this as a brilliant opportunity to reach out, engage and motivate the most disadvantaged young people in the community and help us change even more young lives."



A great move by the Venky's and Blackburn Rovers especially at this time with all these riots across England. And I congratulate them on the same!