Blackheath and the EACDT: a new partnership

For some years now, on the Wednesday of Cricket Week when we play the Kenya Kongonis, we’ve run an annual fundraiser for the East Africa Character Development Trust. 

This tremendous charity, which is closely associated with the Kenya Kongonis, provides cricket coaching and character education to thousands of children in schools in slum areas of Nairobi: see www.eacdt.org.  As the schools within the program testify, it makes a huge difference to the children who benefit, fostering the character strengths that are essential to success not just at school but in life, and giving them the confidence to help improve their own communities.

Between January and March this year, Ronny Harrison spent time out in Nairobi coaching with the EACDT team in several schools there.  Since his trip, there have been various conversations between the club and the EACDT about how we can do more to help.

After losing one of its main sources of funding (which has forced the temporary closure of one of its hubs), the EACDT now requires urgent additional resources to ensure that its remaining hubs can continue to operate and hopefully expand in the future.  To help meet this challenge, the charity is seeking to establish and develop partnership relationships with suitable cricket clubs in the UK.  Blackheath has been invited to become one of the very first partner clubs.

How we’ll be helping

Under the scheme, Blackheath will be partnered with Dr Aggrey Primary School, and we’ll be helping in two main ways:

• By running a fundraising campaign/event each year for the benefit of the school.  This year, we’re setting a target of £6,500, which is the cost of running the EACDT program there. 

  
  

• By collecting used cricket kit for the program.  Already this year we’ve collected a lot of kit through our second-hand shop.  Sales from that shop have raised over £300, which will be donated direct to the EACDT, along with all the unsold kit left over (see picture). 

We’ll get regular updates from the school on how the program is going and how the kids we are supporting are benefiting.

A life-changing opportunity

But that’s only part of what being a partner club involves.  Based in part on Ronny’s experience, the EACDT will in future be offering the opportunity to talented young cricketers in partner clubs – especially those doing gap years – to come out to Kenya to coach in the EACDT program, whilst also playing at some of the top clubs in Nairobi, including the Nairobi Club, home of the Kongonis themselves.

As Ronny will testify, this is truly a life-changing opportunity.  Unsurprisingly, the experience of coaching is very different from leafy Surrey – the sheer number of kids is amazing – but is incredibly rewarding.  The EACDT are in desperate need of more coaches to assist their current team, so (unlike in most gap year schemes) those who volunteer will be making a real difference.  They will see another world, whilst being looked after by a local team with strong UK connections, headed up by EACDT project director David Waters MBE (who has a long-term association with Cranleigh School).

The full package is still in the course of development but aside from the volunteering will involve not only the opportunity to play some good quality cricket at great venues, but also a short safari to see some of Kenya’s unrivalled wildlife.  Parents or other family members who would like visit for part of the volunteers’ stay – and perhaps take in a safari as well – will be most welcome to do so!

A cricket tour like no other

The final part of the partnership is for now a just a possibility.  But we hope in due course to organise a pre-season cricket tour to Kenya, either as a Blackheath club tour or together with another partner club or clubs.

This would be a tour like no other, taking in matches at several grounds in Nairobi and Mombasa, as well as incorporating a safari in one of Kenya’s unforgettable national parks, with the option of a couple of days on the beach to relax.  It would also of course involve a visit to see the work of the EACDT which we will be supporting.

Launching the new partnership

To launch the new partnership, and to give the opportunity to members to come along and hear more about the EACDT – as well as the volunteering opportunities and the potential tour – David Waters will be coming to a special evening at the club following the league matches on Saturday 17 May.

Please do come along if you can to support this event and chat to David.  Or if you can’t make it, but would like more information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Nick Harrison (nharrison@serlecourt.co.uk), who is liaising closely with the EACDT about all these plans.