Community Sports Leaders Africa was now in a position to plan for 2022/2023. I started an official Kit/Equipment Recycling Initiative and got a story in the Northumberland Gazette. By April I already had offers of kit. I decided upon my Fund Raising Challenge for 2022. The number of runs scored in 16 cricket matches = the distance I would cycle in kilometres.
The equipment and kit recycling campaign had also started well and my garage was filling up fast. The first person to answer the call was Josh Rutherford from Amble East End Juniors FC. He told me the club had just folded and did I want some kit. He opened his garage and said take it all. There were kits, balls, bibs and goals.
Lots of footballs
Mini training goals x 4
Training kits
Bibs
South Edinburgh Community FC and Paul Doig were next to call. I went up to Inch Park and filled the car. There were lots of the famous red and green junior kits. Sadly a local club Alnwick Hill FC had recently folded and they donated lots of new kits and training gear. It had been three years now since I had first made contact with SECFC.
Paul Doig
Alnwick Hill FC
Famous red and green of SECFC
Lots of kit
Old friends Longhoughton Rangers FC found a kit or two. At the last minute Alnwick Town Juniors donated seven black and white full kits. New friends Bugbrooke St Michaels sent me several kits via my old Worcester mate Simon Legge. Grant Watson again donated a lot of old tennis balls and trainers. Alnwick Juniors Rugby had lots of balls and cones for me.
Longhoughton Rangers FC
Bugbrooke St Michaels FC
Alnwick Town Juniors FC
The packing was going well
200 tennis balls
Trainers
Cones
Rugby balls
The cricket season started and by July 30th I had 441 runs at an average of 40. The cycle took me 4 days, each day I took a different route through North Northumberland.
Before the off
1st night in the hammock
Northumberland National Park
Finish at the Horseshoes, Rennington
The final route map. It was a tough 4 days but just proved if you get up early enough and take it easy, you can go a long way.
In total I raised £885 and got a top up of £221 via Gift Aid = £1106
The total raised of £1106 was enough to get the kit to Dundee, which I did with the help of G. A . Smith and my friend Nick Parker. The boxes were dropped at the Bananabox Trust depot in Dundee. I met Alan Laverock and we shared a Mzuzu coffee. The next container would be leaving for Northern Malawi by the end of 2022. The bill from Bananabox trust for our 59 boxes was £1032, plus £60 fuel so we had raised enough. The date to pack the container is March 24th 2023.
52 boxes and 7 bags
My driver and friend Nick Parker and Alan Laverock from Bananabox Trust.
Bananabox Trust depot, Dundee