This October a team of 11 volunteers from the UK will once again be travelling to Rwanda on behalf of Cricket Without Boundaries. The two and a half week project will see the team in the western districts of Karongi and Muhanga before travelling east to the capital Kigali working in schools and orphanages using cricket to promote healthy lifestyle messages around HIV while promoting the game. There may even be one or two special events along the way…….
Providence Cowdrill – New Volunteer
Nickname/known as: Provi
Age: 18
How did you hear about CWB? Through the Hampshire Cricket Board and a volunteer who had been on a trip with CWB before.
Fundraising efforts: I have run cricket courses over Easter and the summer holidays, and have done carwashing in my local neighbourhood
Why Rwanda? I’ve always wanted to go to Africa and use my cricketing experience to inspire others to play, and Rwanda seemed like the perfect opportunity to do this.
Hopes for the trip? I hope to grow in confidence as a coach and a person, as well as make a difference to the lives of the children and young people by promoting positive health messages and sharing my love of cricket.
Khushali Patel – Returning Volunteer
Nickname/known as: Khush
Age: 27
How did you hear about CWB? A former work colleague – Sara Begg!
Fundraising efforts: Girls cricket camp in Harrow and just asking people!!!
Why Rwanda? I didn’t choose Rwanda but it will be nice to see a different country in Africa after an amazing time in Kenya in 2016!
Hopes for the trip? To make new friends, have fun, coach lots of cricket and get the ABCT message across to as many kids as possible in an engaging and memorable way!
Peter Lamb – New Volunteer
Nickname/known as: Pete or Lamber (inventive!)
Age: 27
How did you hear about CWB? Through a colleague who has done multiple trips in the past and recommended.
Fundraising efforts: 24 hours coaching in a row at Gloucestershire CCC – exhausting but very enjoyable!
Why Rwanda? I didn’t choose where I went on a trip, but looking through possible places I am very excited for it to be Rwanda. It seems a forward thinking country who have successfully rebuilt after such devastation. Great to be a part of the stadium opening too.
Hopes for the trip? Meet great people and have a positive impact on as many as possible through Cricket.
Jon Walmsley – New Volunteer
Nickname/known as: Jon-without-an-‘h’
Age: 54
How did you hear about CWB? from a recent volunteer in the Local Paper
Fundraising effort: lucky to have help from experienced outdoors event manager for celebrity charity cricket match; systematic email campaign around friends and colleagues; poker tournament.
Why Rwanda? CWB’s choice. Anywhere fine for me.
Hopes for the trip? Help make the theory work in action. Every single life we can influence in a positive way makes the trip worthwhile.
Ryan Swiers – New Volunteer*
Nickname/known as: Swaz (not Fred?)
Age: 36 (hard to believe I know)
How did you hear about CWB? I responded to an advert from Thom (Country Manager) a year ago for Public Health involvement in a research project to identify, measure and evaluate the impact of CWB, and here I am!
Fundraising efforts: Woeful so far! I’ve got some signed cricket and football stuff to give away so will aim for a golf day and dinner in November…
Why Rwanda? Again this is Thom’s fault….
Hopes for the trip? No communicable diseases, sunshine, lots of laughs, some work and chance to see how things work (charity, research, health) and generally a trip to remember!
*Accompanying photograph is not Ryan. Obviously!
Adrian Miller – New Volunteer
Nickname/known as: Adrian
Age: 59
How did you hear about CWB? I found it on the internet and volunteered!
Fundraising efforts: Wine tasting evenings and dinner parties
Why Rwanda? Interested to learn and experience how cricket is playing a role in the healing process following the 1994 civil war.
Hopes for the trip? Having been a school teacher for most of my life I’d like to experience helping school children in Rwanda
Peter Spavin – New Volunteer
Nickname/known as: Spav
Age: 33
How did you hear about CWB? Last year on the way back from a charity trip to Uganda I met Thom in Addis Ababa airport and pretty much signed up on the spot!
Fundraising efforts: I’m self funding and hoping to match funds through a Just Giving page.
Why Rwanda? I’ve already been to Uganda and Kenya so it made sense to choose a new country
Hopes for the trip? Learn about cricket coaching, experience Rwanda, do some good work, meet the locals.
Thom Manning – Country Manager, Rwanda and Project Lead
Nickname/known as: Mango, Captain Slappy, Papa G, Grumpy Monkey
Age: = π(3.8672)
How did you hear about CWB? Radio 5 Live Radio documentary in 2013
What have you done to raise funds? Race Night & Raffle…again!
Why Rwanda? I’m the Country Manager! This is my fourth CWB trip and my second to Rwanda.
And in Kigali there is Meze Fresh………
Hopes for the trip? To build on last years very successful trip and excited to be implementing the research project into delivery effectiveness in conjunction with Public Health England.
Sara Begg – CWB Head of Monitoring & Evaluation
Nickname/known as: Beggy, or “full-named” SaraBegg!
Age: Older than I behave.
How did you hear about CWB? I was on ECB Tutor Training with CWB legend Lee Booth, his enthusiasm for the charity was infectious!
Fundraising efforts: I ran the Loughborough Half Marathon with a couple of supportive friends. I’m fortunate – my friends, family and colleagues know how much energy I put into my work with CWB and were very generous in their donations
Why Rwanda? I spent a week here with the Leeds Trinity project in the Summer, so as I am currently working in the East Africa region I thought popping over to Rwanda to spend a few days with the Autumn project team and catch up with the Rwandan coaches would be a good idea!
Hopes for the trip? A priority for me will be seeing how we get on with the new monitoring and evaluation methods, and collecting good data for planned research into how involvement in cricket and CWB has impacted on peoples lives in the long term. Oh, and a Meze Fresh burrito.
Jo Dean – Returning Volunteer
Nickname/known as: Jo, or Jodean (sung to the tune of Dolly Parton’s Jolene!)
Age: On the wrong side of 35
How did you hear about CWB? I first heard about CWB on Test Match Special and volunteered in Botswana last autumn, so I’m back this year to coach thousands more children in the beautiful country of Rwanda (and don’t forget Uganda before that – Ed.)
Fundraising efforts: I did a sponsored swim, swimming the distance of the English channel which raised the majority of my fundraising target and topped it up with a delicious cake and jam sale at work! Cake is a sure fire money earner!
Why Rwanda? Rwanda looks like a beautiful country and having been through challenging times in the past, I think it will be interesting to see how sport can continue to heal wounds and help promote social cohesion
Hopes for the trip? I hope I can provide a really fun introduction to cricket, give people a great time and hopefully change at least a few people’s way of thinking that will leave a lasting impact after we’re gone
Lee Booth – CWB Head of Delivery
Nickname/known as: Lee, Boothby, Mr. Lee
Ageless
How did you hear.…hang on! The rest of the questions are pretty much pointless where Lee is concerned. Lee is Mr. CWB. He’s been on more trips than anybody, he runs the day to day operations of the charity and will be joining us in Rwanda direct from the Uganda Project. We are all really looking forward to having such an experienced CWB’er on our Project especially as he’s got the laptop from which we’ll be blogging from.
Be First to Comment