A generous donation of quality cricket gear and equipment by an England-based charity has begun to roll out across schools and communities in Antigua &Barbuda.
Cricket Kindness, the brainchild of Australian Tamara Lowe, who pioneered the Caribbean Children’s Cricket Charity, has sent a number of bats, balls, shoes, pads, gloves, kit, helmets, and other items to the Ministry of Sport for distribution.
Lowe, who now resides in London, England, and started her mission in Antigua in 2017, says she is once again delighted to make the gesture, especially during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) era.
Tamara says her work is receiving tremendous support in England.
“Cricket Kindness relies on cricket clubs and schools I contact taking time to organise equipment collections through their communities. I am particularly grateful to members of the Hawridge & Cholesbury Cricket Club and the Tring Park Cricket Club for gathering plenty of equipment and generously donating to the Cricket Kindness crowdfunding campaign to help pay to sea-freight the gear to St. John’s. The York House School community also enthusiastically embraced the project!
“I am assisted by many others who share my love for cricket and have thrown support behind my efforts to ensure under-resourced Caribbean communities can have access to cricket equipment.
“Sara Malin from International Cricket Tours kindly shared my cause with her wonderful clients who generously donated, Dave Gardner from DJG Exhibition Services provides enormous warehousing assistance & trucks shipments to the docks, Alain Jason from Googly Cricket volunteers his time helping me sort and pack, Choice Cricket re-gripped many bats and donated quality superseded kit, the Surrey Cricket Foundation made a huge kit donation, B3 Cricket sent an incredible equipment donation, Dave Carlisle from Hertfordshire Junior Cricket spread the word, Kirsty Hamilton from Prestige Hygiene Services assisted with warehousing and transporting, Josh Gurney from Morton Cricket did a brilliant job repairing some bats, and other clubs including Radlett, Abbots Langley and Chorleywood also donated gear. So, you can see it is a big joint effort!”
Antigua & Barbuda’s Commissioner of Sports Colin James, who has been liaising with the ‘cricket angel’ during the period of the pandemic, says the country’s youngsters will benefit from this latest contribution.
“Tamara has done a tremendous job to solicit and send this shipment to Antigua & Barbuda. She has demonstrated her love and commitment to us and it’s only fitting that she be given the title of ‘cricket angel,” said James.
Ridley Jacobs, who is the school’s cricket coordinator, received a portion of the items on behalf of the government and says the donation was timely for the Combined Schools team.
“…some of the players have been struggling because they don’t have any gear or equipment so these will assist them,” said the former West Indies captain and wicketkeeper/batsman.
Sir Curtly Ambrose, the legendary West Indies pacer rated among the best of all-time, assisted with the presentation to his alma mater, All Saints Secondary while former Windies captain Richie Richardson was present at the J T Ambrose school event.
Irene B Williams secondary in Swetes, Villa Primary, C T Samuel Primary in John Hughes, and Old Road Primary have also received gear and equipment since the distribution started on Monday.
Other presentations will be made next week to other secondary and primary schools.
One response to “Cricket Kindness Project donates a quantity of gear and equipment to Antigua”
A big thank you for your donation.