Charlie’s the angel of Kenyan orphans

Simon Mander

A GLOBAL charity set up by an RAF officer has launched a campaign to help destitute street children after his only daughter was killed in a road accident.

Wg Cdr Neil Hope, who founded the Shawbury-based Taking Football to Africa and Beyond Appeal, has so far raised more than £36,000 for a Restart centre in Gilgil, Kenya, that was 19-year-old Charlotte’s favourite place.

He said: “She had visited Kenya several times and her plan was to become a primary school teacher then move there to assist this wonderful organisation which homes, educates and helps abandoned street kids.”

And in April some of her friends will travel to Kenya to help continue the teenager’s legacy.

“Charlotte will always be a huge part of the appeal and will live on in our hearts and the work that it does,” said Wg Cdr Hope.

Despite the tragedy the group completed a record number of deliveries in 2022 with more than 8,800 football shirts and 28,000 boots, training clothes and school uniform despatched to 12 different locations.

Donations from Premier League clubs to grass roots teams, schools, colleges and individuals took the number of countries supported to 60 –with warm clothing also sent to Ukrainians displaced by the Russian invasion.

Supporters spent 10 days in Kenya visiting schools in Kibera, the largest slum town in

Africa, and arranged a live webchat between local Kibagare FC players and Leicester City and Nigeria striker Kelachi Iheanacho. Despite Covid other appeal team members visited Nepal to distribute kit through the Gurkha Welfare Trust most physically and mentally demanding achievements of my life.

“It is a privilege to be the eighth woman in modern history to qualify as a ‘Cresta Rider’. “None of this would have been possible without the coaching, support and patience of the RAF Cresta Team.”

Team Captain Flt Lt Steve Kingdom said: “I am immensely proud of Mimi. She has fought extremely hard to qualify as a Cresta Rider.”

Flt Lt Hobbs (inset left) and sleigh stablemate Sqn Ldr Maddie Smith recently secured a win for the RAF Women at the 2023 Inter-Services Championships.

CRUSADE: Charlotte Hope joined father Wg Cdr Neil Hope on frequent trips to Africa to support his charity work. She was killed in a road accident last year

Oz Tonka joy

A FORMER Dambusters Tornado is to be unveiled at Western Australia’s Aviation Heritage Museum later this month.

The RAF jet – the only one to be given to an institution outside the UK – was rebuilt by a seven-strong Brize Norton-based Joint Aircraft Recovery and Transportation Squadron team, who flew out for the task after its three-month journey by sea to Perth.

The aircraft designated ZG791 was flown five times in Iraq by Sqn Ldr Martin Keer and narrowly escaped disaster after coming under heavy fire from enemy KS19 and S-60 anti-aircraft artillery midway through a sortie in 2001.

and trekked to Everest Base Camp.

In total the appeal has now delivered 95,000 football shirts and nearly 240,000 other items with volunteer help from military personnel in Kenya, Brize Norton and Shawbury.

Chief of the Air Staff ACM Sir Mike Wigston is due to officially hand over ZG791 to the Bull Creek museum that also boasts a Lancaster in its collection that tells the story of the Australian aircrew who took part in the Dams Raid in May 1943.