Faith in Humanity

Some of the cricket kit Project Front Foot have provided for refugee teams in Normandy

This week, a van from Project Front Foot arrived in Caen and mes’ garage was filled by loads of cricket kit, equipment and clothing, for the refugee cricket teams in Caen and Avranches: bats, pads, gloves, helmets, boxes, lots of cricket clothing including cable-knit sweaters, all donated by various bodies and people in the UK. There are even some junior/Kwik Cricket bats and other bits and pieces.

It all arrived on Thursday and this morning mes and Julia, the social worker for the refugees, have gone through it all, making inventories and dividing it into two equal parts for the two groups.

They are keeping back some extra-warm stuff for refugees who arrive this coming winter and also a bag full of brand new tops which will be prizes in the cricket tournament they’re going to be organising this summer.

Mes and Julia with just some of the kit
This photo is from Thursday evening, before everything was sorted through

Today, the kit began to be distributed. If you want to see what a happy refugee looks like, see the next photograph.

With all the shit going on all over, and my faith in humanity being sorely tested, this story has kept me together in recent times and I have the utmost respect for everyone involved, from mes and Julia to the donors in the UK, the players in Normandy and elsewhere, but especially for Front Foot Forward, who have been doing this stuff for fifteen years.

They started off in the slums of Mumbai (or Bombay, as Ravi would have said) and this next picture is of them doing just that:

This is their website. Please do look at it:

https://projectfrontfoot.org

You can also get more up to the minute news on their Facebook page (if you can face Facebook). It’s https://www.facebook.com/projectfrontfoot

I’ll either post more photos up here or below the line. I want to get this out now, so will not fiddle around any more.

359 thoughts on “Faith in Humanity”

  1. A poem, a veritable poem, for the season.

    THE MAY-POLE.
    by Robert Herrick

           THE May-pole is up,
           Now give me the cup,
    I’ll drink to the garlands around it ;
           But first unto those
           Whose hands did compose
    The glory of flowers that crown’d it.

           A health to my girls,
           Whose husbands may earls
    Or lords be, granting my wishes,
           And when that ye wed
           To the bridal bed,
    Then multiply all, like to fishes.

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    1. The only place I ever came across a permanently used maypole was the George Inn at Belton (Leicestershire), spent many enjoyable tays there whilst working in the East Midlands. Wonderful food, great company from the locals.

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  2. Parky returns to OT tomorrow, for those of you who enjoy it when events reach the ‘find out’ stage.

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  3. Duane Eddy.

    I’d never heard of him when this was released in 1975 and I went out and bought it. Still have it.

    Not his greatest-ever record but I’m very glad I have it. Proper legend, when you think about it.

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  4. Don’t forget to load up your teams with Sussex and Lanky players; not only are they certain to succeed, these teams also play twice in this extended round. (Also Glammy players and presumably someone else.)

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    2. That is just terrible news. I picked up on the story while updating fantasy sides for the next round. Joe Baker had done so well in the few first-class matches he had played. Seemed to be a very well liked young man and a very promising cricketer. Feel gutted for his family and for Worcestershire CCC.

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