- The Uganda Autumn 2011 Team (minus Alan!)
Veronique Cowan-Goessant – Volunteering for CWB over the last two years has given me a fabulous chance to combine cricket, a sport I love with charity work in Africa , a continent I have a long standing interest in. My two trips to Botswana have been hard work but fulfilling and fun. I have thoroughly enjoyed the hands-on experience and the close contact we built with the teachers and children. Although we will be using the same approach in Uganda, I am very much looking forward to seeing how the teachers and children respond in a country less exposed to cricket. I think the goal of trying to get children at a young age and getting a message across in an indirect way through sport is one of the best ways of tackling the issue of HIV/Aids. As a result, I am happily immersing myself in supporting the charity by being a member of their HIV/Aids group. www.justgiving.com/Veronique-Cowan-Goessant0
Richard Davies – Playing career, captain of England Schools in 1972, Army and Combined Services, one first class match for Warwickshire, Berkshire and club professional at Arbroath. Played rugby for the Army. Grounds manager at Worksop and Lancing Colleges, cricket coach and tutor for the ECB. Started coaching in Uganda in 1992 then got involved with the charity through Andy Hobbs in 2007. I’ve tutored trips in Kenya and Uganda for the charity. I love going out to Africa with the charity as the combination of the cricket and the HIV/Aids really appealed to me and working with teachers helps give the sustainability of our work. And when you’ve experienced the wide smiles and laughter of the African children it really is infectious and you want to repeat it. I never get bored with the country as I get to see it through new volunteers eyes on each trip.
I hear you say how do you get the time? I retired 18 months ago and decided to do as little as possible and achieved it by living on a remote mountainside on Crete with stunning sea views where I can indulge myself in walking the mountains or fishing off the rocks below. Oh, and some time in the beach taverna! Why not!!
Michelle Hayden – James and I usually visit a new Greek island for our holiday each year…this year he asked me if I fancied going to Africa! Of course, I said yes…then he told me it was to coach cricket! CWB has given us the chance to visit a country and continent that we have not visited before and I am really excited about going (even though it’s cricket related)! I am looking forward to supporting the coaches with spreading the HIV/AIDS awareness messages, whilst they use their expertise with coaching the children and young people, as we travel around Uganda. Maybe I will even pick up some crickety skills whilst we are there!
This is an opportunity of a lifetime, one which I am sure I will never forget. I will be leaving behind a day-to-day job of working with children and families who we, in this country, consider to be in need. I suspect that this experience will open my eyes to how privileged we really are and how grateful we should be. So thank you to all of those people who have supported James and I to raise the money we needed to get here and we will see you all when we get back! BRING IT ON! www.justgiving.com/James-Savory-Michelle-Hayden
Alan Hough – Level 2 coach with Ockbrook and Borrowash CC near to Derby. I am married with 2 children at school (13 and 16) who both play – how could they not! This is an opportunity to put something back into cricket and society in a way that is a bit different, and outside of my comfort zone.
Apart from being an unpaid taxi driver (my daughter starts her driving lessons next week), I am MD of 2 engineering companies. Outside cricket I have a long association with amateur drama and operatics including many years singing Gilbert and Sullivan, a big garden which is a constant headache and pleasure all at the same time, and watch as much Rugby (Leicester Tigers for preference) and Hockey with my family as I can find time for. I am delighted not to have been put in charge of the group’s emergency toilet roll stash, but have been nominated as treasurer. At 4500sh to the pound, I look like being a millionaire for the duration. www.justgiving.com/Alan-Hough
Graham Hurst – It didn’t take long for me to decide to sign up for a CWB project after I viewed some of the blogs on the website and heard what previous volunteers had to say. What an amazing opportunity to go to Africa and combine a love of cricket with promoting the important message regarding HIV/Aids. I am a level 1 badminton coach with little experience of coaching large groups so am looking forward to that challenge. The team has a great wealth of experience and I can’t wait to learn from them and hopefully play my part in the team too. www.justgiving.com/grahamhurst
Michael Reeves – This is my fifth trip on a CWB project, twice to Botswana and now three times to Uganda. I got involved after seeing an email from Andy Hobbs back in the summer of 2009. The first trip to Botswana was so enjoyable and worthwhile, that when another email came saying that CWB needed 2 more people to go to Uganda, I didn’t hesitate. Together with my wife, Veronika, we have made lasting friendships with fellow volunteers and local African teachers and officials from the local cricket boards.
If CWB had only been involved with coaching cricket, then I don’t think that I would have continued to volunteer on a regular basis. Once I had been out to Africa and seen for myself the misery that HIV / AIDS could cause, it was a simple decision to carry on with the charity and now I am part of the HIV/AIDS group which meets to see how we can better educate the teachers and children that we coach cricket to in HIV prevention. www.justgiving.com/Veronika-Michael-Reeves
Veronika Reeves – This is my fifth project with CWB. Initially I started volunteering because I loved everything African and thought that the charity’s idea of linking HIV/AIDS awareness with cricket was interesting. Since my first trip in 2009 I have learned a lot about cricket, coaching and HIV/AIDS and realised that I have the great opportunity to make a difference. I have been to Uganda before and fell in love with the country, the people, the children and the enthusiasm for everything new. I can’t wait to be back there under the scorching sun hoping that it might just rain this once… I hope the team will enjoy the trip and will come back for more. www.justgiving.com/Veronika-Michael-Reeves
James Savory – Cricket is my passion, I have played the game for over 20 years and have been coaching for the past 12 years, formally as a volunteer coach at Evesham CC in Worcestershire and more recently as a community coach/development officer for the Cumbria Cricket Board. The two and a half years I have spent working for the CCB has brought many varied and rewarding experiences. I am constantly looking for ways to challenge myself as a cricket coach and better myself as a human being. Coaching in Uganda and relating cricket to HIV/AIDS awareness will certainly be very different and exciting challenge.
This will be my first trip to Africa, somewhere I have always wanted to go. It will also be my first experience of volunteering for a charity on this scale, to be honest I never thought that as a cricket coach I would have much to offer the people of Africa with any of the difficulties that they face! That was before I discovered “Cricket Without Boundaries”. I immediately knew this was my opportunity to do something worthwhile, something that could really make a difference to peoples lives. My Fiancee Michelle and I live 250 miles apart so our holiday time is precious to us, but I knew she would see that this was a once in a lifetime experience that we could share. I also knew that Michelle’s experience as a social worker combined with my cricket coaching skills could make us decent candidates for selection by CWB. We were thrilled and honoured to be chosen and hope we can do a great job for CWB in Uganda and I look forward to sharing our experiences with everyone who has kindly supported us with our fundraising when we return. www.justgiving.com/James-Savory-Michelle-Hayden
Hannah Weaver – I first heard about CWB from Trustee Ed Williams, Ed used to work with my husband and his Cairo to Cape Town Adventure soon became the stuff of legend!! Six years on two children (me not Ed) and a career change later, I find myself in the enviable position of working for CWB as Charity Executive doing a job I love with the most fantastic, inspiring volunteers. I am enormously excited to be part of the Uganda team and looking forward to delivering the coaching programmes in areas new to CWB. I am an avid cricket fan due mainly to the fact that when I first met my husband he played cricket both days every weekend so if wanted to see him I had to watch!! My coaching skills are unproven however, and the school P.E report I received a long time ago is still very true today “what she lacks in talent she makes up for in enthusiasm”.
HIV/Aids is ravaging Sub Saharan Africa. Over 65% of all HIV sufferers live in this region. Whilst the focus on HIV/Aids has somewhat been lost in the developed world, mainly due to the success of anti-retroviral medicines and good sexual health education, it continues to blight the lives of millions in the developing world. The unique mix of cricket development and HIV/Aids awareness that CWB delivers is a fantastic way of passing on key messages.
I am so very grateful to all my friends and family who have been so generous in their donations towards the project to my husband Matt who has encouraged and supported me in fulfilling a long held ambition to travel to Africa. I do hope you will all follow my adventure by reading the blog. When it is my turn to write I will be gearing it to my 6 and 3 year old so apologise in advance for the “story time” delivery!! www.justgiving.com/HannahWeaver