,,,, Clubs, schools to benefit soon

DOZENS of young and promising youth cricketers in the Ancient County of Berbice last weekend benefitted from donation of cricket gear from the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB)-organised Cricket Kindness project.
The youths were drawn from across the county and were selected by their respective clubs based on their discipline, attitude and need for cricket gear.
The presentation was done in the compound of the St Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church and was completed via a transparent system, supervised by BCB president Hilbert Foster, BCB secretary Angela Haniff, Public Relations Officer Jonathan Rampersaud and executives members Gregory Crandon, Narine Deonarine.
Foster stated that the project actually started in late 2020 when former England Test player Roland Butcher contacted him to inform him that he was submitting the BCB’s name for assistance to a group named Cricket Kindness for possible assistance in the form of cricket gear.
He disclosed that the head of the organisation Ms Tamara Lowe requested a comprehensive proposal which was submitted by the BCB.
Cricket Kindness is an England-based charity organisation that assists clubs, youth players and schools with cricket gear.
The group works along with a wide range of former Test players like Roland Butcher, Chris Lewis, Sir Vivian Richards, Sir Gordon Greenidge, Sir Richie Richardson and others to garner support and funds to make its operation successful.
The group receives gear on an annual basis from supporters across the United Kingdom especially current players, schools and cricket teams.
Foster hailed Ms Lowe for her dedication to the effort of making a possible difference in the Caribbean, with countries like Barbados, St Kitts and Antigua benefitting in the past from millions of dollars’ worth of cricket gear.
Cricketing legends Richards and Greenidge were recently involved in Cricket Kindness programmes in Antigua and Barbados respectively. Special thanks were extended to the management and staff of ECU Worldwide for their assistance in getting the much-needed gear moved from England to Guyana free of cost.
Thanks were also extended to Minister Charles Ramson and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport for their support in getting the gear duty-free into the country. BCB also expressed thanks to Mr Carl Griffith and team from Laparkan for their co-operation and support.
Among the gear distributed were bats, batting gloves and pads, wicket-keeping gloves, helmets, forearm guard, chest pads and thigh pads. Six clubs across the county also received white cricket uniforms for junior members.
Eighteen members of Berbice Under-15 teams also received coloured t-shirts under the projects. Sixteen youths also carried home cricket boots.
The distribution would continue on Sunday April 24 during the BCB annual awards ceremony, with several schools and clubs with youth sections receiving gear to assist in their cricketing development programmes.
The players and representatives of the clubs all expressed thanks to Ms Tamara Lowe, Cricket Kindness and ECU Worldwide for their assistance and pledged to take care of the cricket gear.
Among the clubs that players were drawn from were Bush Lot United, Achievers, Cotton Tree, Bath, Albion, Guymine, Albion, Port Mourant, RHTYSC, Skeldon, Radha Krishna, No. 73 Young Warriors, Line Path and Scottsburg.