Radleian Society Charity Alliance & Cricket Builds Hope

RADLEIAN SOCIETY CHARITY ALLIANCE

There are a huge number of Old Radleians doing important work for charities on local, national, and international scales. From silent auctions and fun runs to founding charitable organisations, we are proud to see that so many Old Radleians are both ingenuous and humble, and also have a strong sense of duty.

We want to put a spotlight on some of this work, so we have started a new initiative called the Radleian Society Charity Alliance, where each year we will select, support and promote an OR charity for a year. We will highlight the good work of that particular charity to the Radley Community and, through an increased awareness of the importance of their work, contribute to delivering its mission.

It is intended that the relationship between Radley and the OR charity will be mutually beneficial in a number of ways:

Through promotion in the Old Radleian, newsletters, and social media we will share their story, what they want to achieve and why.

We will organise talks from the Charity at the College, to increase understanding of global charity work and give boys the opportunity to be inspired by the ORs involved and contribute directly to the achievement of the charity’s mission. We hope to also create opportunities for current boys and ORs to volunteer or engage in skill-sharing experiences with the charity.

We believe that creating these annual alliances will showcase some of the best work that our community is doing in the charities sector. While we will highlight our chosen charity, we will also continue to promote other fundraising efforts by Old Radleians more broadly.

If you are doing something amazing for a charity you care about, get in touch by emailing radsoc@radley.org.uk!

Our first alliance will be with Cricket Builds Hope, a charity using cricket as a vehicle for social change and women’s empowerment in Rwanda. This charity was co-founded by ORs Alby Shale and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in celebration of their late father, Christopher Shale. Read more at www.cricketbuildshope.org to find out more about their work.

Want to promote your fundraising, or ask the community for help? Radley Connect is a private online platform for ORs, Radley staff, and current & former Radley parents. We encourage you to log on and post a message to the community!

Four young ORs recently raised over £17,000 for two charities by cycling from Marble Arch to the Arc de Triomphe. Read their story on pp. 90-91.

CRICKET BUILDS HOPE

What is Cricket Builds Hope?

Cricket Builds Hope (CBH) uses cricket for positive social change in Rwanda. Its first project was to fund the construction of an international standard stadium in Kigali, the Rwandan capital. Now, it focusses on delivering programmes with local partners that facilitate equality, empowerment and social cohesion. The spirit and values of cricket run through everything they do.

Who is involved?

Cricket Builds Hope reflects the aims of Christopher Shale, a British businessman and cricket enthusiast who regularly volunteered in Rwanda, and was passionate about the country and its people. During his visits, he witnessed the growth in enthusiasm for cricket, despite the lack of facilities. Wanting to assist, he worked towards building the first grass wicket in the country to help popularise the game.

Sadly, Christopher died in 2011 before he had a chance to realise his vision. His family and friends set up the Rwanda Cricket Stadium Foundation, later Cricket Builds Hope, in his memory. This included Christopher’s son Alby (2004, E/K) and stepson Edo (1997, D/L).

Alby Shale became Project Director for the Rwanda Cricket Stadium Foundation in 2015, and oversaw the final fundraising and building phases. The stadium opened in 2017. Alby remains a Trustee of the organisation, that also has many cricketing celebrities as its patrons: Eoin Morgan, Heather Knight, Michael Vaughan and Jonathan Agnew to name a few.

◀ Alby Shale (2004, E/K), Trustee and founding member of Cricket Builds Hope

Why Rwanda and why cricket?

Rwanda has one of the youngest populations in the world, the average age of its 12 million people being only 19. Its developing economy is still recovering from the genocide of 1994, and is based mainly on tea and coffee exports, with a growing tourism industry. As the country continues to strengthen, sport is being prioritised by the Rwandan government as an avenue for development, education, and building peace.

Cricket arrived in Rwanda after the 1994 genocide. Thousands of Rwandans, having grown up playing cricket in exile in nearby countries such as Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, came back to Rwanda to rebuild their lives in their home nation, and brought the sport with them.

In 1999 the Rwanda Cricket Association was founded, and in 2003 Rwanda became an Affiliate Member of the International Cricket Council. The first cricket ground in Rwanda was created on the site of the infamous massacre of at least 4,000 people, portrayed in the award-winning film, Shooting Dogs. Before a ball could be bowled, the two-metre-high grass was cut, revealing the remains of victims. Cricket is now one of the fastest-growing sports in Rwanda. There are 24 cricket clubs, around 15,000 regular players, and the game is played in more than a hundred schools.

Cricket is equally popular amongst girls and boys, having never been considered a ‘male’ sport. The lack of pre-1994 history makes cricket the perfect vehicle for reconciliation in Rwanda.

Projects

GAHANGA CRICKET STADIUM PROJECT

Over 6 years, Cricket Builds Hope (formally the Rwanda Cricket Stadium Foundation) raised over £1.25 million to fund the building of the new stadium. Gahanga Cricket Stadium has been dubbed the ‘Lord’s of East Africa.’ The not-for-profit ground consists of an ICC international standard wicket with pavilion and bar, as well as community facilities. It has been awarded nominations and prizes for several prestigious architecture and engineering accolades. The three vaults, designed to mimic the trajectory of a bouncing ball, and the hills of Rwanda’s countryside, were constructed out of 66,000 handmade tiles, predominantly using local labour sourced through a Rwandan social protection programme.

The stadium was officially opened in October 2017 by H.E. Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda. On the opening weekend, the ground hosted a Celebrity T20 match with sides captained by former Ashes-winning England Captain Michael Vaughan and South African batting legend Herschelle Gibbs. England international and CBH patron Sam Billings, and Kenyan cricket legend Steve Tikolo also played in the match.

Following the opening of the stadium, Cricket Builds Hope has developed a focus on delivering sport for change programmes and working to ensure the stadium is properly maintained and operated. Alby Shale initiated CBH’s first sport for change programmes, including a gender empowerment programme, and a cricket participation programme in rural areas.

The stadium continues to act as a base for CBH activities in Kigali, and is being used to support grassroots cricket, including coaching sessions for local schools. It has also hosted free HIV testing by the Rwanda Biomedical Centre, and cricket open days to attract new players and spectators. It also continues to develop, with a second pitch being built to support further growth of the game and allow Rwanda to host more international cricket tournaments.

YORKSHIRE TEA PROGRAMME

Working in partnership with Yorkshire Tea, CBH coaches cricket to young people and adults around three of their tea estates. Yorkshire Tea have been supporting grassroots cricket in the UK for almost a decade and have been buying tea from Rwanda for even longer, so they are a natural partner for CBH.

The Tea Cup Coaching Programme has introduced cricket to three remote tea estates in Rwanda alongside neighbouring schools. Playing sport together encourages improved physical health, a sense of comradery, and helps to reduce individual stress and community tensions. Bespoke coaching programmes teach children and estate workers the sport, and also train staff to become coaches, ensuring the continuation of the project. A third year of the programme is now underway, and culminates this October in the ‘Yorkshire Tea Cup’, with over 200 children from the tea estates coming to the Gahanga Cricket Stadium for a tournament.

“We learnt how to play as a team and communicate with each other in the best way to achieve a common goal” Damascene Byukusenge, a student at GS Gisovu

“We do get more support from one another because we play together in a team. Now if you walk up and down the factory you see people that you play cricket with always something to talk about.” Odette Ingabire, a member of staff at Gisovu Factory

“I couldn’t speak in front of people, I learned how to look for opportunities and today I have a job with a road construction company. I am now the vice-president of a political group in Gahanga and I started an initiative to teach people how to make kitchen gardens to fight malnutrition.” Ruth, Kigali

WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME

With funding from Comic Relief and the Scottish Government, the focus of this programme is to use cricket to help unlock leadership potential of young women aged 18 – 25 from low income families in the Gahanga area, 20 minutes from the centre of Kigali. The programme covers topics including confidence, goal setting, problem-solving, and teamwork with the workshops being consolidated on the pitch through cricket sessions.

190 young women have benefitted from the programme so far, and 90% of participants feel more confident in their abilities. The programme has encouraged them to raise their aspirations for their own lives, and their communities more widely.

ADOLESCENT SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH PROGRAMME

Access to education on sexual and reproductive health continues to be a challenge in some Rwandan communities, with the prevalence of HIV and teenaged pregnancies an ongoing issue.

CBH is now embarking on its next social programme, giving adolescents in Gahanga the knowledge to make better informed choices that lead to improved sexual and reproductive health. Teaming up with local experts the Health Development Initiative, adolescents will take part in workshops followed by cricket sessions that help reinforce messages, reduce stigma and create an enjoyable and engaging atmosphere for participants. Adolescents who enjoy the game will be able to access pathways to continue playing for local clubs.

Impact

Since its formation in 2014, CBH has reached hundreds of people, including over 900 children in rural tea estates, using cricket to strengthen communities, encourage reconciliation, and increase the happiness and confidence of individuals. For example, 80% of participants in the Women’s Empowerment Programme have increased their proactivity by becoming agents of change in their communities, such as by becoming involved in local politics, and taking a great role in household decision making.

Cricket Builds Hope and Radley College

In April 2022, Old Radleian and co-founder of CBH, Alby Shale, approached Radley to suggest a collaboration. Impressed by the work and impact of CBH, the Radleian Society agreed to initiate the first Old Radleian charity alliance, where we aim to raise the profile of a particular OR charity every year to the broader community.

how you can get involved

Cricket Builds Hope can only succeed thanks to the support and input of its supporters and the wider community. There are many ways that you can contribute to its work, including:

• Sponsoring (or referring a potential corporate partner to sponsor) a social initiative, like the Women’s Empowerment or new Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health programmes • Signing up to become a Friend of CBH, which will also grant you access to exclusive events and insights • Joining them for one of their great fundraising events, like the Christmas Carols or Fundraising Dinners. The next dinner will take place at the Surrey Oval on 23rd February 2023 and will be headlined by Eoin Morgan. • Touring Rwanda and the Gahanga Stadium with your cricket club. Previous clubs have described this as the most memorable tour of their lives. • Fundraising, by doing a sponsored activity like a marathon or event, for example a raffle, at your cricket or other sports club • Following CBH on its social media platforms (twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn) and sharing the news with your networks.

EUROPEAN TRANSPLANT & DIALYSIS GAMES 2022

For the first time in its 22-year history, the European Transplant & Dialysis Games took place in the UK this summer. The idea was initiated by OR Patrick Walker (2011, G), and after five years of planning, it was finally time to welcome the athletes to Radley where they, and many of the sports, were hosted.

Oxford witnessed an incredible week of sport in August; more than that though, the message of the life-saving impact of organ donation was demonstrated through the incredible experiences and accomplishments of all the athletes who competed.

The European Transplant & Dialysis Games brings together recipients of organ transplants, as well as people receiving dialysis, from all over Europe for a week of competition across a variety of different sports. The 2022 games were the first to be held in the UK since their inception in 2000, and the biggest in its history, with 600 athletes and supporters taking part from 26 countries. The sport is integral, but the competitors are united in their experience of making the most of what they see as the ‘gift of life’ they have been given by their organ donor. Appreciation for organ donors and for the chance to come together was seen at every competition, but in particular at the Opening Ceremony held at Oxford’s Sheldonian Theatre on Sunday 21st August. The joy and enthusiasm on show as all the teams filed in one by one was interspersed with a few words about individual athletes by Susie Dent, who hosted the ceremony. The handful of individual stories were just a hint of the experiences of each of the competitors – a Swiss tennis player who had a double lung transplant, an 80-yearold French athlete competing at her fourth international Transplant event, and the three members of the Ukrainian team, all on dialysis in the countries in which they are currently resident: Poland, Romania and the UK, where Maksym, the team manager lives in

“I volunteered as I am so proud that Radley is hosting the ETDG. My role was to collect several athletes who were dialysis patients and take them to the Churchill Hospital for their regular treatment. I was moved by the sheer enthusiasm and pride of all the competitors, and the wonderful camaraderie between the teams.” Elisabeth Anderson, Development Director

Oxford with his family. Maksym gave an emotional speech and took the athletes’ oath on behalf of his fellow competitors.

Following the ceremony, the athletes boarded Salter’s Steamers boats at Folly Bridge and travelled by river to Radley, where they were met at Radley College Boathouse by volunteer members of College staff who transported them to their accommodation at the College, where the majority stayed for the week. With many of the sports, including swimming, badminton, tennis, athletics, darts, archery, and squash also taking place on site, the campus had a festival atmosphere all week, palpable in the athlete’s vibrant and colourful team kits, worn with an obvious sense of pride and pleasure.

In addition to the sports taking place at the College, there were three incredible evenings of competition at Blenheim Palace: a 5k run, a cycling road race and a time trial, as well as the pétanque competition. This took place over two days in the picturesque courtyard with the Palace as a majestic backdrop. Blenheim was a wonderful setting for these events and the athletes were inspired by the surroundings. In particular, it was incredible to watch Michael, an 86-year-old Team GB competitor, who not only ran the 5k at Blenheim, but also competed in the squash and athletics, all the time planning his next challenge – the World Transplant Games in Perth in 2023.

Playing a part in a week like this will have a lasting impact on all those involved – volunteers, spectators, organisers as well as competitors and supporters. Perhaps Carlo Fabio Marcello Calcagni, the Italian athlete who won hearts (and five gold medals) in cycling, athletics and the 5k run, put it best. ‘Mai Arrendersi’ he told us all at the Closing Ceremony – never give up. It was wonderful to witness this motto made human.

GAMES TIMELINE:

SEPTEMBER 2016 SEPTEMBER 2017 NOVEMBER 2017 OCTOBER 2018 SEPTEMBER 2021 DECEMBER 2021 APRIL 2022 AUGUST 2022

“I hosted a wonderful evening of croquet, with a tremendous showing from Teams Finland, GB, and Kazakhstan. The opening of the beer barrel after an hour of play was greeted warmly but did not deter the German team who stayed firmly put, playing until it was too dark to see a thing.” Harry Crump, D Social Tutor

Visit the Games’ You Tube channel here: https://bit.ly/3d7y9Od

Anna Haynes Internal Communications Officer

First meeting between Dr Paul Harden, Chair of Transplant Sport (the organisers of the Games) and Alison Goodfellow, Events Manager at Radley College. British Transplant Games Racquet Sports Weekend held at Radley College. European Transplant & Dialysis Games Oxford 2022 launch event takes place at Blenheim Palace.

Patrick Walker (2011, G) contacts College Bursar, Andrew Ashton, to suggest Radley College as a venue for a UK bid to host the 2020 European Transplant & Dialysis Games. The Oxford bid for the European Transplant & Dialysis Games is successful, but for summer 2022. Les Newell, newly appointed Head of Sports Centre & Commercial Enterprises at Radley College, takes up the planning for the Games.

Transplant Sport test events are held at Radley College, including football, swimming, and racquet sports.

European Transplant & Dialysis Games Oxford 2022 is declared officially open, welcoming over 600 athletes and supporters from 26 countries – the largest event in its 22-year history.