Message from the Lord Mayor

It is a great honour to be elected Lord Mayor of the City of London. In this role, I see it as my duty to protect and promote the City in this difficult economic climate, and also to attempt to rebuild the communities within it.

In these times of adversity, charitable giving and focusing on the disadvantaged are even more pertinent. Therefore, the emphasis of my charitable Appeal is to leave a legacy for London by giving sporting and musical opportunities to under-privileged young people.

The Appeal will support the work of the London Symphony Orchestra and the Cricket Foundation, both of whom run fantastic educational programmes in schools and communities across London.

The two organisations have joined forces under the banner of the Appeal to create Pitch Perfect.

Through the money raised by the Appeal, Pitch Perfect will offer disadvantaged young people the chance to participate in inspiring and engaging cricketing and musical activities.

Research has shown that participation in both sport and music has a direct and quantifiably positive effect on the lives of children and young adults.

Playing on a cricket team or in a music group is proven to increase self-confidence, improve academic performance, enhance general well-being and even improve people's employment prospects. Both music and cricket were significant components of my own personal development. Playing on the school cricket team and in the school band were some of my happiest memories from school, and ones that filled me with the self-confidence that set me on the path to where I am now.

I'm delighted to be able to contribute in such a direct way to ensuring that young Londoners can also experience the joys of music and cricket.

We aim to raise sufficient funds to run a sustainable programme that will help 75,000 children by the year 2015. Pitch Perfect will be inclusive in its approach, aiming to reach young people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, reflecting the cultural diversity of London communities. Furthermore, Pitch Perfect will provide opportunities for girls to participate as well as boys — particularly welcome in cricket, where there has been a historical lack of opportunity for girls to play the game.

It is my view that there should be equal opportunities for everyone, and that it is the responsibility of the City to contribute to making this possible. I would very much appreciate it if you would take the time to read more about the Appeal, and very much hope that you will be able to help in making it a success.

Thank you.