Play for Change, WBSC launch Official Charity Partnership

The Play for Change (PFC) Charitable trust and the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) today announced a new partnership that will enable more children around the world to benefit from PFC's sports programmes, which aim to improve health, education, employment and inequality outcomes.

With baseball and softball's global positioning across more than 140 countries, the PFC and WBSC partnership will be able to increase availability of educational/health/social sports programmes to reach the lives of more children and their communities around the world.

PFC, through their carefully designed sports programmes, has seen participation from over 6,000 children this year through sports such as badminton, basketball, football and volleyball. PFC will be able to further expand the reach of the programmes in 2017 with the addition of baseball and softball.

PFC and WBSC will work together to begin baseball/softball programmes in targeted territories while boosting programme resources (e.g., baseball/softball educational materials, coaching/training, kit and equipment) worldwide. PFC and WBSC will also plan joint fundraising activities.

Partnering with PFC aligns with WBSC's ongoing social responsibility efforts to use the power and enjoyment of sport to up-skill communities whilst reducing many of the inequalities that can act as a barrier to positive futures.

Louisa MacDonald, Programmes Coordinator, said: "We are absolutely thrilled to partner with WBSC. With WBSC's global influence and PFC's commitment to improving lives through sport, we can reach more children around the world. Sport is a powerful tool that can be used to tackle many of the inequalities that exist and it is great to have federations, such as WBSC, on board who share a passion of driving positive social change."

WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari said: "The WBSC is tremendously honoured to partner with Play for Change to help expand the important humanitarian efforts that they are leading, and for baseball and softball to have a role in them.

"As a world governing body of a major sport, WBSC and all our stakeholders take this duty very seriously. With partners like Play for Change, I am very hopeful and confident that a more level playing field can be cultivated, with more educational, sporting and life opportunities being brought to underserved children and communities around the world."

The world governing body of baseball and softball share Play for Change's values of improving lives through sport and working closely with communities to try and tackle many of the inequalities that children face, for a brighter future.

For more information, please contact:

Media

media@wbsc.org

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