Back in February, Maidenhead Softball Club ran the Not Jingle Balls Indoor Charity Tournament, initially scheduled for .jpg)
December but postponed due to snow. The event brought 10 teams together to have fun and raise money for a good cause.
Throughout 2017, the club had been supporting the Hope Mosjoen Skole school in Gambia. Julia Barlow, leading the effort, had collected items from both club members and members of the wider softball community. Donations included clothes, games, books and general supplies that the school could use and these items have been going out to Gambia on a regular basis in various-sized shipments. Items that could not be shipped or used were used to fund the shipping.
The softball community has been very generous and supportive with donations, and they continued this support at the Not Jingle Balls Tournament, which raised an amazing £1,082.
The club was also helped immensely by the Nuffield Gym, who operate the Royal Masonic Hall where the tournament was played. They were very flexible when the first event was postponed, and they also donated to the cause.
The club had decided before the event that whatever monies were raised, simply donating it to the school would not provide the biggest impact. So, since February, Julia Barlow has been working through a list of items it was felt would most benefit the school, and earlier in June, the result of those efforts started their journey to Gambia.
There were 10 boxes full of fancy dress clothes, play tents, giant dominos, cars, dolls, balls and 35 rucksacks (for the children that can’t afford them), plus clothes, treats, puzzles, books and much more. It will probably take two to three weeks until the boxes arrive and the generosity of everyone involved can be realised.
Maidenhead Softball Club would like to thank everyone who helped make the Not Jingle Balls Tournament a success and helped us to provide these items.
Of course, this is not the end: we’ll still be helping the school through continuing donations from club members. If you are reading this and have any children’s clothes, games, books or other items you would like to donate, or even items you aren’t sure about, please contact maidenheadsoftballclub@outlook.com and we will arrange collection.
Again, a big thank you to the softball community: you are an amazing community to be part of!
