TWO supporters of the Rob Stephenson Trust have delivered equipment to a deprived area of Africa.
Rob Hicks and Sue Milburn visited the Nondescripts Rugby Club (Nondies) in Nairobi, which plays a significant part in supporting the local community.
Rob Stephenson, of Pickering, was 21 years old when he died on March 26, 2016, after being involved in a road collision on a night out in York.
His parents Patrick and Nicki and elder brother Sam set up the Rob Stephenson Trust to help young people participate in sport.
Mr Hicks is a member of Malton Rugby Club, where Rob played, and a friend of the Stephenson family.
He said: “Through connections from my distant days at agricultural college, I learned of an outreach rugby programme based in Kenya that seemed to share many of the values of the Rob Stephenson Trust.
“The outreach programme was set up by the Nondies, the oldest club in the country.
“Sustainable and long-term social responsibility is in the very DNA of Nondies and they play a significant part in supporting the local community. The aim of the club is to allow the younger and less privileged members of the rugby community an opportunity to expand their horizons and find long term, meaningful employment.”
The Rob Stephenson Trust funded rugby equipment, including balls, medical kit and training aids. The equipment will be used by the Nondies in its outreach programmes to better the lives of some of the poorest young people in East Africa. Mr Hicks said the experience of meeting the players and officials of club had been amazing.
“The kit donated by the Rob Stephenson Trust will allow the brilliant outreach project to continue and get more children playing rugby,” he added.
Andrew Jackson, chairman of Nondescripts Rugby Football Ltd, said: “The club is incredibly grateful for the generosity of the Rob Stephenson Trust – the contribution has made a significant impact on our young members.”
The trust is looking to reach out to other volunteers who may be visiting a disadvantaged area of the world who have a contact that they could use to distribute items.
