Lord's Taverners

The Lord's Taverners started life as a club founded in 1950 by a group of actors who used to enjoy a pint watching the cricket from the old Tavern pub at Lord's. Key early figures were Martin Boddey, the Founder, and fellow actors and friends like John Mills, Jack Hawkins and John Snagge, the sports broadcaster. In the early days, the money raised each year was given to the National Playing Fields Association, whom the Taverners still support, to fund artificial cricket pitches.

Since then The Lord's Taverners has developed into both a Club and a Charity. We have in total over 4,000 members. These include The Lady Taverners (founded 1987) as a separate fundraising arm and The Young Lord's Taverners (founded 1988). Since 1975 we have developed 25 Regional groupings (all volunteer) throughout the UK and Northern Ireland. The Lady Taverners also has 21 regions.

The Taverners have a headquarters and small staff in London. 80% of their income money is raised through events including lunches and dinners, cricket matches and golf days, concerts and quizzes. Since 1950 they have given away more than £36 million in grant aid. This is now distributed in the following proportions:

50% to youth cricket
35% to supplying recreational transport (minibuses) for organisations supporting disabled young people
15% to supplying sports and recreational equipment for young people with special needs.

In 2005 grant aid amounted to over £1.6 million. The Taverners continue to draw our members from the world of acting and showbusiness. They also include many sportsmen and women, particularly cricketers, members of the professions and of the world of business and commerce.

They are recognised by the England and Wales Cricket Board as the official national charity for recreational cricket