Sparsholt Cricket Club and CALA Homes go all out for cricket in Africa

CALA Homes and Sparsholt Cricket Club have teamed up to donate shirts to a fledgling Rwandan cricket team. This collaboration continues their successful partnership which saw the housebuilder announced as club sponsor earlier this year.

Working with the Rwanda Cricket Stadium Foundation (RCSF), Sparsholt Cricket Club has become the first club in England to be twinned with a Rwandan cricket team and has joined forces with CALA and Serious Cricket to donate 30 shirts to the team known as the White Clouds.

The all-female White Clouds team were picked to be twinned with Sparsholt to support its success as an up and coming team in Rwanda. Despite the popularity of cricket in the country, most teams play without professional equipment so the shirts will make a big difference as Ed Pearson, project director at the RCSF, explains:

“We are delighted with the support CALA, Sparsholt Cricket Club and Serious Cricket have shown the Foundation. Cricket is rapidly developing in Rwanda, but getting hold of playing equipment is a real problem. Many of the players come from disadvantaged backgrounds and therefore affording playing gear, let alone sourcing it, is very difficult.

“These shirts will not only enable the White Clouds to play in suitable clothing, but will also allow them to present themselves as a united team, create a sense of pride among the players and hopefully see them to greater success.”   

Andy Worth, first team captain at Sparsholt Cricket Club, adds: “It is fantastic that our partnership with CALA has already grown and that we can work together to support this unique project. Sparsholt Cricket Club is incredibly proud to be the first cricket club to be twinned with a Rwandan team in this way and hope that the shirts are just the first step to supporting the White Clouds.”

Rob Westwood, CALA Homes’ project director for Barton Farm, concludes: “When CALA became sponsor of Sparsholt Cricket Club, we were incredibly keen that our involvement with the club went beyond a financial contribution. When Andrew brought the opportunity to support the RCSF to us, it was an ideal opportunity to show our support locally, as well as for this worthy cause in Africa.

“As a national housebuilder, we are committed to investing in the communities in which we build and, with a 10 year build programme at Barton Farm, we are sure this is just the first of many projects we can work together on.”

Construction work at Barton Farm is due to start on site in late 2014, with the first homes expected to be released for sale in summer 2015. Phases 1A and 1B will include 423 one and two bedroom apartments and two, three, four and five bedroom houses. The approval, which was granted by Winchester City Council, also includes the transfer of land to Hampshire County Council for the construction of a new primary school using funds provided by CALA.