On Friday 13 August, Lord’s will once again turn red for the Ruth Strauss Foundation’s annual #RedforRuth day.
Test Series title partner LV= Insurance has kindly dedicated the entire Second LV= Insurance Test Match between England and India to the charity, helping raise awareness of its mission across all five days and supporting #RedForRuth day on day two.
The Ruth Strauss Foundation was set-up by former England cricket captain Sir Andrew Strauss in memory of his late wife, Ruth. She died of a non-smoking lung cancer in December 2018, aged just 46.
Their children were just 10 and 13 years old – two of the 41,000 children who face the death of a parent annually. In the UK more than 23,600 parents with dependent children die each year. The charity believes every family with a child facing the death of a parent should be offered professional, emotional support to prepare for the future.
This year’s #RedforRuth campaign will raise awareness of the charity’s new Family Support Service – a vital service that provides much-needed pre-bereavement support for families with dependent children, where a parent is told they don’t have much longer to live, and helps families prepare for grief, death and dying.
Without the right support, families can struggle to process grief and this can particularly affect children's future wellbeing. A research study showed approximately half of the children who face the death of a parent from cancer experience unresolved grief up to nine years later.
With the kind generosity of the cricketing family and wider public, the charity hopes to extend their support service to thousands of families nationwide plus launch its training programme for healthcare professionals. Research found that healthcare professionals feel ill-equipped to support families where a parent has an incurable diagnosis. The programme will help them be more confident in supporting families when they need it most.
"We are delighted to once again see Lord’s turn Red for Ruth and are grateful for the ongoing support of the cricketing family and wider public"
Sir Andrew Strauss says, “Ruth was determined to - in her own words - "do death well”. She knew we needed support to help us understand and navigate the best way to break this life-changing news to the boys. By being transparent and open about what was happening to Ruth, we enabled the boys to feel comfortable to share their worries, questions, grief and fears for the future.
"As a result, they could continue living their busy lives, feeling confident that they knew what was going on, and in some way knowing that they would be OK after Ruth’s death.
“We are delighted to once again see Lord’s turn Red for Ruth and are grateful for the ongoing support of the cricketing family and wider public. It’s through people’s generosity that we are able to bring Ruth’s vision of supporting families facing one of life’s toughest tests to life. Through the work of the Foundation and the launch of the Family Support Service we can give families who find themselves in a similar position to ours the help and guidance that is so badly needed.”
On #RedforRuth day, players from both teams will wear special commemorative shirts with the Ruth Strauss Foundation logo and red playing numbers.
With the support of LV= Insurance and other corporate supporters, in-ground branding will turn red. LV= Insurance will also be changing its pitch mats, LEDs, boundary ropes, trivision and replay screens on Days 1, 3, 4 and 5 to promote the foundation. Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar is also showing his support by hand signing a limited number of prints. The prints and signed commemorative shirts will be available exclusively to purchase from the #RedforRuth auction.
The cricket community and beyond are being asked to wear red, help raise awareness of the campaign and to support fundraising in the lead up to and during the Second LV= Insurance Test – whether by making a donation, posting a “red” picture to show their support on social media or purchasing official RSF merchandise from their store.
"The LV= Insurance Test Match against India will be one the highlights of the cricketing summer and we can’t wait to see Lord’s turn #RedforRuth"
Heather Smith, Managing Director at LV= General Insurance says: “The Ruth Strauss Foundation is such an important charity and we’re delighted to play our part in promoting the vital role it plays providing pre-bereavement support for families. The LV= Insurance Test Match against India will be one the highlights of the cricketing summer and we can’t wait to see Lord’s turn #RedforRuth and celebrate the brilliant work Andrew and his family are doing.”
Tom Harrison, ECB Chief Executive Officer said: “We are once again very proud to be supporting the Ruth Strauss Foundation. The dedication of everybody to make last year a success despite the challenges everyone faced on and off the field with the Covid-19 pandemic is a testament to how beloved the Strauss family are by the cricketing community. We look forward to the day returning to Lord’s after Emirates Old Trafford did a fantastic job last year. We will be joining the cricketing community in going #RedForRuth on 13 August to raise vital funds and remember Ruth.”
Donate Now
