Cricket coach and Ashford ladies player, Ali McCreedy, has just returned from a two-week project with Cricket Without Boundaries in Kenya. CWB is a healthcare charity which links the introduction of basic cricket to vital messages such as HIV prevention and gender equality. The trip broke CWB records for the number of children reached, an astonishing 9048, and the team visited over 30 schools in Muranga and Kisumu. They were also the first CWB project to travel into Siaya, a beautiful rural area north east of Lake Victoria, and close to the Ugandan border – it's not often a day's work involves crossing the Equator!

Completely run by volunteers, CWB's work is dependent on fundraising, each volunteer committing to raise the cost of their trip. Also vital is the support of cricket clubs who pass on unwanted kit and equipment. Thanks to generous donations from local clubs Ashford and Englefield Green, an unlikely match up occurred in Muranga, when the sides donned their new shirts!

Cricket equipment is, of course, hugely important, but possibly most precious of all are the old tennis balls used in the sessions. It is truly humbling to see how much they mean, with every single child desperate to take one home. It's no exaggeration to say that each trip could give away thousands of them.

The CWB website (www.cricketwithoutboundaries.com) gives full details of future trips, currently to Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. Volunteers don't need to be qualified coaches – the most important thing is enthusiasm for the project. If you have unwanted cricket kit or tennis balls which could be used on a trip, please contact Ali McCreedy.