Proving that being out of the country on the day of the Buwan Kothi Challenge is no excuse for not helping to raise funds for BKIT, Pippa Ungar is planning to cycle up Mont Ventoux, whose summit (right) stands 1912 metres or a vertical mile above the Provence countryside in France.
The 21km climb up the ‘windy mountain’ is one of the most gruelling climbs in the Tour de France.
To sponsor her efforts, visit Pippa’s online fundraising page here.
Sunday 7th February saw the return of Leamington BKIT Kick it Out team in a historically significant game against Pottertons Old Boys. played at Henley in Arden College.
This was the first time in more than ten years that the famous Pottertons name had been used in a football context and it saw the return of some great players and characters from its illustrious past.
Indeed many of the BKIT side have also played for Pottertons in its past which gave the fixture a “family” reunion feel.
Led by Roy Evans and Terry Dyer the Pottertons team reformed specially to help raise funds for the Buwan Kothi International Trust and to fight discrimination and intolerance in sport.
The game proved to be equal to the occasion with both sides showing that the years have been kind regarding fitness levels.
The game raised £350 for the charity and former Mayor and trustee of BKIT Mota Singh expressed his gratitude and thanks to both teams for their involvement.
He explained: “Today has been a great success and I would like to thank all involved in organising this game for their hard work.
“We are also pleased to see Pottertons reforming especially for this event and if they continue as a team then this fits with the charity’s ethos of empowering the local community to work together for good causes.”
The Buwan Kothi International Trust has launched a charity football team to help raise money and the team got off to a winning start at the end of November.
The team was set up by some of the players who played in a charity game against Luther Blissett’s celebrity team in August to raise funds for the charity.
The squad is made up of players representing the diverse communities of Leamington Spa and surrounding areas. All squad members are passionate about the trust as well as football and saw the team as an ideal way to raise funds and continue to raise the profile of BKIT and Kick It Out.
Following initial meetings all the players committed to playing in the team. The aim of the team is to play a number of games throughout the year.
The first game was played on Sunday 22nd November at Warwickshire College, Henley-in-Arden. The college has given its commitment to the team by allowing the college ground to be the regular fixture for home games.
The opponents were the Leamington Khalsa Old Boys team. The weather held up in the first half and the two teams were evenly matched. However during the second half the heavens opened and it ended on a rain sodden pitch with the players covered in mud. The final score was 5-3 in BKIT’s favour.
The match raised £260 for the charity which was a fantastic achievement for a first game. Future fixtures include games against Leamington Hibs, Wolverhampton All Stars and a possible rematch against Luther Blissett’s celebrity team in the New Year.