UNICEF TO TAKE OVER LORD’S ON 24 JUNE TO RAISE MONEY FOR CHILDREN AROUND THE WORLD

Media release

• Matchday takeover ‘Play For UNICEF’ to take place during England vs. West Indies at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 on 24 June
• Fans at Lord’s and watching around the world will be encouraged to support UNICEF’s work for children globally
• Activation forms part of the ICC’s global Cricket 4 Good partnership with UNICEF

The International Cricket Council (ICC), UNICEF UK and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will host a special matchday takeover at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, when England take on the West Indies at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 on 24 June.

In taking over Lord’s, the ICC and UNICEF are aiming to raise both funds and awareness for UNICEF’s projects supporting children around the world, with a fundraising target of £100,000 from the activation.

UNICEF UK Supporter, Nabhaan Rizwan, a passionate cricket fan and two-time BAFTA-nominated actor, will attend the game and walk out with the trophy alongside England legend Isa Guha in support of the Play for UNICEF matchday. 

“I'm excited to be at Lord's on Wednesday, 24 June for the Play for UNICEF match day takeover,” said Rizwan. As a huge cricket fan, I can't wait to see England play West Indies for this ICC Women's T20 World Cup game, during which fans will also be able to donate to support UNICEF's work for every child”.

The wider takeover of Lord’s will see a branded UNICEF presence across the grounds, with the UNICEF flag featuring in the Anthem Ceremony, and global broadcast audiences encouraged to support through dedicated donation messaging throughout the day.

There will also be replay screen messaging and donation prompts played out on the big screens at Lord’s, as well as 4s and 6s cards handed out to supporters, which will carry QR codes to make donations. The ECB will also provide a signed jersey, which will go up for auction, with all proceeds going towards the campaign.

The activation will also support UNICEF UK’s Making Childhood Unstoppable initiative, which aims to amplify children’s voices and celebrate them as an unstoppable force, highlighting that children are born ready to learn, play and grow, but that global crises, including conflict and climate change, are preventing too many children from thriving.

UNICEF’s matchday takeover sits alongside wider Cricket 4 Good activity at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, with all 12 participating teams taking part in cricket sessions with girls from schools across the seven host venues. It aims to provide over 600 aspiring young cricketers with the chance to meet international players and be inspired to take up sport.

Prior to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, UNICEF co-created games for Schools Cricket Day on 23 April. That ICC and ECB initiative saw 236,000 children from more than 1,350 schools participate, making it the largest single-day cricket participation event in UK history. 

An ICC spokesperson said: “The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is a powerful platform to bring people together, and this matchday takeover at Lord’s is an important opportunity to support UNICEF’s life-changing work for children around the world. Through Cricket 4 Good, our partnership with UNICEF continues to show how cricket can create impact beyond the boundary, and we hope fans at Lord’s and those watching globally will get behind this cause on 24 June.”

UNICEF UK Head of Corporate Business Development, Lamis Serroukh, said: “We’re hugely grateful to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 for giving us the opportunity to showcase our partnership, which champions children’s rights and highlights how cricket has the power to unite communities and inspire children on and off the pitch.

“At a time when children are facing serious challenges across the world, partnerships like this one are vital in ensuring UNICEF can be there for every child, including providing life-saving care and supplies when a disaster or conflict hits, and protecting their right to an education. Every donation from our match takeover today will go towards this life-saving work, so please support us if you can.”

To donate, visit: https://www.unicef.org.uk/donate-to-unicef-wt20wc

Notes to Editors:

*UNICEF does not endorse any company, brand, product, or service.

About UNICEF

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone. 

The UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) raises funds for UNICEF’s emergency and development work for children. We also promote and protect children’s rights in the UK and internationally. We are a UK charity, entirely funded by supporters. 

United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK), Registered Charity No. 1072612 (England & Wales), SC043677 (Scotland). 

For more information visit unicef.org.uk. Follow UNICEF UK on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.

About the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026:

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 will take place in England and Wales from 12 June to 5 July 2026. Over the course of 24 days, a total of 33 matches will be played across seven top-tier venues – Edgbaston (Birmingham), Old Trafford Cricket Ground (Manchester), Headingley (Leeds), Hampshire Bowl (Southampton), Bristol County Ground (Bristol), The Oval (London), and Lord’s (London). The newly expanded competition will see 12 teams competing for the prestigious trophy currently held by New Zealand.