Richard supports mercy mission (From Messenger Newspapers)
Send us news, start your message Messenger News and your send photos and videos to 80360
Coach of Hale United Junior Football Club on coaching mission to Sierra Leone
9:20am Wednesday 20th June 2012 in Sport
Richard Peers on a trip to Rwanda as part of Project Umubano
A COACH with Hale United Junior Football Club will travel to Sierra Leone in July as part of a two week volunteering project.
Richard Peers, a qualified Football Association coach, will be part of a group of Conservative Party volunteers Richard has previously taken part in the Conservative Party’s Project Umubano in Rwanda in 2010 and 2011.
The Umubano team travel at their own expense to Rwanda and Sierra Leone and offer their experience in a range of different fields - health, justice, education, sport and the private sector.
Bowdon resident Richard will spend the first week teaching young children at the Sierra Leone FA and a second week coaching young footballers throughout the African nation.
In 2011 Richard was part of a team that distributed around 800 items of football kit donated by clubs such as Stockport County FC and Liverpool FC. Richard hopes to collect as many old football kits as possible to take to the children he coaches in Sierra Leone.
Richard said: "This will be an incredible and hugely worthwhile project. I have learned that Sierra Leone is a beautiful country and the people there are very friendly. But Sierra Leone is one of the poorest nations on earth, with the country torn apart by a decade long civil war, which ended in 2002, leaving many children as orphans living on the streets.
"Last year I was inspired by the happiness and sheer raw talent of Rwanda’s young footballers, so when the opportunity to visit Sierra Leone as part of this year’s Project Umubano came up I gladly accepted. Football is hugely popular in Sierra Leone, but the game is hampered by a severe shortage of funds, pitches, equipment and coaching expertise with so much talent going un-nurtured."
If you wish to donate any football kits then Richard will be collecting these at Bowdon Cricket Club on Saturday morning, June 23rd. For more information contact Richard at sierraleonefootball@hotmail.co.uk
click2find
