Surrey come to tsunami aid

Paul Sheldon is delighted that Surrey were able to help rebuild a part of Sri Lanka

In the 13 months that have followed the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami in Asia, Surrey have developed a strong relationship with Sri Lanka.

That includes involvement in four major cricket-related projects responsible for rebuilding areas of the country badly affected by the disaster.

In the summer of 2005, Surrey hosted an all-star twenty20 match at the Brit Oval to help raise money for the tsunami appeal.

Teams from Asia and the Rest of the World battled it out in front of a sell-out crowd as legends from the game showed their support for a worthy cause.

In 2006 the club was given the opportunity to show its support once more as TV programme ‘Challenge Anneka’ took a team of volunteers to South-east Asia for a project like no other they have undertaken.

More than 10 years since her last appearance, Anneka Rice accepted a challenge, set by aid organisation World Vision, to help rebuild a Sri Lankan community.

This involved rebuilding and equipping a maternity clinic, a children’s play centre and a commmunity cricket pavilion.

With Surrey’s experience from their involvement in previous projects in Sri Lanka, Anneka Rice unsurprisingly called upon the club for their support, through a connection with Sir Tim Rice, a lifelong cricket fan and trustee of the MCC.

Commenting on the ITV show, broadcast last month, Surrey chief executive Paul Sheldon said: “It’s fantastic to be associated with such a huge project which will bring much needed aid to a part of Sri Lanka which was so badly devastated by the tsunami in 2004.

“We have been able to learn from the Surrey cricket village and apply that to this project. We hope that the work in Sri Lanka will continue in some way to improve the lives of the people in this wonderful country.”

Rice and her team had to secure donations for everything they would need from a delivery bed, drugs and ultrasound scanner for the clinic and toys for the play centre to cricket nets for the pavilion and pitch area.

Once in Sri Lanka, Rice and her helpers had just five days to complete the challenge. Her co-workers included workmen with specialist skills as well as British survivors who were keen to return to the region and help out.

They worked long hours in the heat and humidity to successfully achieve what they had set out to do and were able to come back to the UK knowing that they had made a difference.

“In the scheme of things, it was a very small thing we achieved,” said Anneka Rice. “But it’s one that has made a big difference to a few people’s lives.”