Darling is a small town on the Western Cape, about 45 minutes north of Cape Town. In the village, a small ‘farm school’ is responsible for the development and education of 100 students who live on the areas farm land. Many children walk up to 10km each way to attend the school, which finishes early to allow them to return home and work on the farm, supporting their families.

The school receives minimal government funding, and even then, only up to 50 student places. The school staff and students rely heavily on charitable donations and the goodwill of the community, which is itself, also quite impoverished in parts.

At Easter 2018, myself, my wife Hannah, and some friends travelling with us visited the school. We took some sporting equipment and played with the students during their lunch break for an hour. Safe to say, many of them without shoes, rang rings around us with incredible energy, huge smiles and inspiring zest for life. As we got ready to leave, one little boy tried to give us one of the footballs we had brought back to us, full of gratitude for his extra special lunch break. When we explained that the balls and goal posts were theirs to keep, it was like all his Christmases had come at once! We resolved to do more.

The school is completely lacking in appropriate sports facilities. The yard is sand and a rusty basketball hoop stands at one end. Our mission is to provide funds for a proper, multi-purpose sports pitch to be laid so that students can play tennis, volleyball, football, basket ball etc (though we might not encourage the development of their next Springbok team!). The estimated cost of this is £1600, so that is our target!

If you are able to donate or do anything to support this worthy cause, even sharing this page, we would be hugely grateful. This really will make a difference to the everyday lives of young people who have very little. We would be so honoured to deliver this total, in person, when we go to visit next. We know the difference it will make and the gratitude it will be received with.