Meet The Team
Thom Manning
I’m an NHS Information Geek in South Gloucestershire, near Bristol, married with a 14 year old son and a 6 year old Cocker Spaniel. I visited Cameroon with CWB in 2014, and whilst not planning to return quite so soon, I couldn’t knock back the opportunity to return to a fabulous country and the fantastic people. My cricket background is virtually non-existent. I played at school and other than an ability to catch I suffered from an incredible lack of talent and spent many days stood behind the stumps with the gloves on.*
Roll on 30 years and my offspring has more talent in one leg-spin delivery than I have had in my 44 years, and before you know it I’m a Level 1 Coach, a Gloucestershire Association of Cricket Officials Umpire, and a ferry service to a boy playing school, club, district and senior cricket.
As well as revisiting schools from last year I’m looking forward to visiting new schools and a new town in Bamenda, and really looking forward to meeting up with the local coaches in Cameroon .
*Despite my lack of talent I have played international cricket for the British Commonwealth, against Cameroon in 2014, where I scored a creditable 1 run in a team total of 44 runs.
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Ben Lougheed
My name is Ben Lougheed and this will be my second trip with CWB having been to Botswana in 2012. Just briefly I have lived in Devon since 2009 but grew up in Luxembourg where I also learnt my cricket.
My cricket background is a bit unusual in that I am currently more of an umpire than player at the ripe old age of 30 but do still like to play when I can. I have been lucky enough to umpire at a whole host of levels from ICC World Cup Qualifiers and U16 county festivals to doing Wednesday evening 20/20’s at a local club. Being from Luxembourg I have also been lucky enough to play a bit of international cricket.
I was first attracted to CWB by the prospect of helping others learn to enjoy the game of cricket as much as I have. I also wanted to help others have the same sort of opportunities in cricket and life generally that I have been lucky enough to enjoy. My hopes for this trip are to be able to raise HIV and cricket awareness in Cameroon and together with the other volunteers to contribute to the development of cricket in Cameroon.
I am very excited to get going now!
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Sam Housam
Cricket, working with children, helping change young peoples lives. 3 things I am passionate about and 3 things that shape the charity Cricket Without Boundaries- what an opportunity! This is my first trip with the charity and I couldn’t be more excited to get out to Cameroon and get stuck in to working with young people and helping change their lives through a sport I love!I am a second year student at Leeds Trinity University studying Sport Development and Primary PE, with an eye to go into Primary Teaching. In the past I have worked as a tennis coach, at sports camps, and in schools doing PE lessons. I am a keen sportsman and particularly enjoy my tennis, badminton and of course cricket. I am always keen to try new things and working with CWB will definitely be a different and new experience- I can’t wait!
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Rob Withers
I’ve always enjoyed playing, watching and coaching cricket; I also have a great passion for travel. So when I heard about CWB this was a perfect opportunity to combine both. This
will be my first CWB trip but having already been to Kenya with another charity I can’t wait to get back! Cameroon sounds like an amazing place and I can’t wait to experience all it has to offer. I’ve played cricket from an early age representing my Saturday team progressing from junior to first team regular also representing my county, Shropshire. I study Sport, Health, Exercise and Nutrition at Leeds Trinity University.
Carl Ferguson
When I signed up to go to Rwanda with CWB in 2012, although in principle I liked what the charity was trying to achieve in promoting positive HIV &AIDS awareness messages via the medium of cricket, I was unaware how it would have such a profound effect on my life afterwards and certainly wouldn’t have believed that only 2 years later I would be about to embark on my 5th trip to Africa. That first trip certainly challenged my perspective and although personally I have only been involved with the charity for just over 2 years, I am extremely proud to feel a part of its fabled ‘family’. Cricket itself is a huge passion of mine and I play, having done so for 22 years, for Flitwick CC (‘The Mighty Otters’) in Bedfordshire. I have also captained the club for 5 seasons previously and hope again to draw on some of my experiences of captaincy in helping with the coordination of the trip. Away from cricket I am heavily into the arts, most other sports and like to think of myself as energetic, determined and always up for a challenge. I literally cannot wait to get out to Cameroon to meet new friends and to experience all the things that the country has to offer.
I anticipate a very special 2 weeks.
Thom Manning
My name is Ben Lougheed and this will be my second trip with CWB having been to Botswana in 2012. Just briefly I have lived in Devon since 2009 but grew up in Luxembourg where I also learnt my cricket.
