MWR Solicitors aims to bowl over underprivileged children of Kenya with a new charity appeal collecting cricket and sports equipment.
The Lancashire legal firm has launched the Kricket 4 Kenya campaign and is appealing for people to donate any unused cricket or sports equipment and clothing to the appeal.
Kenya is one of the world’s poorest nations and at the start of 2006 it suffered one of its worst droughts. This has threatened the lives of thousands of children across the country and in some of the worst affected areas the rate of malnutrition is double the World Health Organisation’s critical rate.
MWR have set up a drop off centre at its offices on Cannon Street, Preston, for people to make donations. There will also be a guest book, which will be taken over to Kenya with the kit, for people to sign and leave messages for the children.
Jane Booker, a partner at MWR Solicitors, said: “MWR hope to raise awareness of the current problems that face the children of Kenya and donate a substantial amount of sports equipment to some of the most underprivileged children on the planet.”
“If you have any old cricket bats, balls or football boots lying around that you no longer use please dig them out of the attic and donate them to the appeal.
“We intend to collect as much sports kit and equipment as we can to try our best to improve the lives of children in Kenya. Every donation, whether it big or small, will make a difference.”
Ramesh Sethi, a former international player of Kenya who played during the first Cricket World Cup in 1975, is the Secretary of the Friends of Kenya Cricket UK (FOKC-UK the official Kenyan supporters club). He is ensuring all of the equipment is properly distributed to the children in Kenya and he said his organisation is, ‘delighted to support such a venture’.
Tom Tikolo of Kenya Cricket said: “We already can dream of the next Steve Tikolos, Thomas Odoyos coming through this project.”
The project is going to run for a year and MWR are transporting the entire collection of cricket and sports kit over to Kenya at the end of summer 2007.
Cricket is the second highest watched sport in Kenya and now enjoys an important role in its sport culture. The Kenyan Cricket Association and FOKC-UK is assisting MWR with the campaign.
