A children’s hospice in Beckton will benefit from tickets for cricket matches donated by a bank.

Richard House Children’s Hospice has received 50 from more than 500 tickets for this summer’s Clydesdale Bank 40 (CB40) matches that have been donated to hospices across the country by Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks. The donation is part of their long running partnership with Help the Hospices, the charity for hospice care.

International cricketer Alastair Cook has praised the giveaway in his role as an ambassador of Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank. He said: “I am delighted that hundreds of hospice patients, volunteers and supporters can look forward to a free live CB40 cricket match this summer thanks to the partnership between the banks and Help the Hospices.

“I hope the cricket tickets bring a great deal of joy to those who receive them, and that they enable hospices to continue helping seriously ill people to live well.”

Richard House will be able to use its coveted tickets to provide fun days out for children and families, as rewards for dedicated volunteers, or as raffle or auction prizes to bring in vital funds for the hospice.

Peter Ellis, chief executive of Richard House Children’s Hospice, said: “We would like to say a huge thank you for these cricket tickets. As a local charity, we rely on the support of companies like Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks in order to provide care and support to our patients and their families. The cricket tickets are another way that we continue to work together to support hospice care in our community.”