Fundraising ideas and CAF 'B' completed by Wachisa

Wachisa only hours after returning to Chitipa with the 73 boxes was on a bus to Blantyre to finish module 3 of his CAF 'B' coaching course. It would be 10 days long and then he would be home again and would take a deserved rest. On the 30th September he said the theory was over and now only the practical assessments back in Chitipa reain. In the near future it would be great to support some more of the talented Chitipa young coaches through these CAF courses. In my opinion Young Coaches such as Frank Kapina, Dorothy Chilonga and Vitumbiko Songa could do these courses in a year or so. Wachisa will surely return to Chitipa to educate and inspire others.  

Since returning from Chitipa, I had spent time attempting to make contact with the netball community on Facebook. It was one of Rowland's first jobs to help and he made a meal of it as usual. By the end of September I had most of the committee, the senior club coaches and half the primary teachers. It was an ongoing project. I knew that I needed to contact them directly if and when Rowland went quiet. I was also busy planning the fundraising for the next year. It all started on Saturday 21st September, when I got my bike together and had a leg stretch to Alnmouth and back. I decided I would try and raise £2500 in a year by cycling each weekend for 52 weeks and in doing so reach 2500 kilometres in total. At the end of September I had done two cycle's, starting cautiously and reaching about 50 kilometres. An idea was to encouarge different people and groups to cycle with me on certain weekends and raise money on my behalf. I ordered some prints from the recent trip and hand drew a big cycle map of Northumberland and made three £1000 'squares' grids. I would target the football community, the local community and family and friends and by early 2026 the cricket community. I wrote to the English FA and the ECB in the hope of getting some signed bats and shirts. The FA said they didn't have anything but would support me with kit when it became available. The ECB sent me a signed cricket bat. My old friend Steve Fuller was first to pledge as usual with   £10 a cycle. In the next few years we will 100% go to Chitipa together. 

One unfortunate result of the MRA wanting money for release of the boxes would be the postponement of the October planned female young coaches and referees course. That money which had been left with Wachisa would have to be used to repay Wachisa and the others he had borrowed money from to get the boxes. He had used his mobile that day and used M-pesa money transfers to get the money needed.