The Barmy Army is delighted to be supporting Āhuru Mōwai Trust and the Rotary Club of Plimmerton’s cricket-themed fundraising evening during England’s tour of New Zealand later this year.
The event – which will be held the day before the start of the second Test in Wellington – will take place at the Te Rauparaha Arena in Porirua City. The purpose of the event is to raise funds to build an inclusive playground for children with intellectual and physical challenges in the Porirua region.
“The Barmy Army always receives a warm welcome whenever we tour New Zealand, so to be able to support an initiative like this is something we are incredibly proud of,” said Chris Millard, Managing Director of the Barmy Army.
“As a group that strives for inclusivity, the incredible work being done by Āhuru Mōwai Trust and the Rotary Club of Plimmerton resonates with everyone involved with the Barmy Army. For young people living with intellectual and physical challenges, having a safe place to go to is hugely important.
“With the fundraising evening taking place the night before the start of the second Test match between New Zealand and England, we hope that our travel members will join us in supporting the brilliant event.”
Āhuru Mōwai Trust’s purpose is to provide safe spaces and places in Porirua, and greater Wellington, that allows young people living with intellectual and physical challenges, as well as their families, to have a safe space to go to and enjoy – all while feeling protected, confident and accepted in a way that every family deserves. The Rotary Club (RCP) is a passionate supporter of this project.
“The Āhuru Mōwai Trust and RCP are thrilled to have the support of the Barmy Army getting behind an inclusive play area in Porirua”, said Paul Latham, Chairman of the Āhuru Mōwai Trust.
“As Trustees we’ve dreamt about this play area for years and our dream will finally become a reality in 2025 thanks to your gracious support. We’re grateful for the support of Rotary and the Porirua City Council to get us this far.
“We can’t wait to reveal the plans for the play area at the Gala Dinner on 5th December 2024.”
Meanwhile, Colin Whyte, President of the Rotary Club of Plimmerton, said: “The Rotary Club of Plimmerton and the wider Rotary Community are delighted to be involved in raising funds, in conjunction with the Āhuru Mōwai Trust, for the construction of an inclusive play area for children with intellectual and physical challenges for the benefit of families and children with Spectrum and/or Physical Disabilities.”
The playground will be built in the city where current England Test captain Ben Stokes was brought up and played cricket in his formative years in New Zealand. Ben’s mother, Deb, is a close friend of a past President of the Plimmerton Rotary club and Bryan Waddle [long time NZ cricket commentator] is also a member, so there is a long association with cricket for the RCP.
The event team are currently in the process of getting cricket commentators, former players and local sporting personalities to be involved in the fundraiser. Moreover, the event will also feature the brilliant Jeremy Coney and Bryan Waddle as the guest speaker and MC respectively.
While the pricing structure is still to be confirmed, the format of the evening will be as follows;
- Pre dinner drinks
- Dinner
- Speaker/panel discussion
- Gala auction and several silent auctions throughout the evening
The Barmy Army is thrilled to be able to support the fundraising event during England’s Tour of New Zealand, and hope our loyal members will join us in supporting the project.
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