PRINCESS BEATRICE AND EDO MAPELLI MOZZI ASK WEDDING GUESTS TO FIND OUR MORE ABOUT CRICKET BUILDS HOPE

Princess Beatrice and Edo Mapelli Mozzi have announced they will be asking their wedding guests to find out more about Cricket Builds Hope, instead of bringing gifts on their special day.

In a statement, the princess and her fiancé asked that well wishers find out more about the work of two charities Cricket Builds Hope and Big Change.

Edo co-founded Cricket Builds Hope with his brother Alby in 2011.  The charity (previously known as Rwanda Cricket Stadium Foundation), was founded in 2011 and raised over £1.25m to build the country’s first international cricket ground - the Gahanga Cricket Stadium.

The Stadium opened in October 2017 and has become the home of Rwandan cricket being widely used to develop the game from grassroots to international level. Post construction, Cricket Builds Hope retains a major role in maintaining and operating the GCS as a cricket and community hub. 

Additionally, Cricket Builds Hope runs sport for change social programmes in partnership with charitable and corporate organisations, using the Stadium as a base.

Richard Nicoll, Chairman of the Trustees said: “We’re thrilled and honoured that Princess Beatrice and Edo have asked their wedding guests and well wishers to learn more about Cricket Builds Hope. As a co-founder and the former Chair of the charity, Edo shares our ambition to harness the game of cricket to deliver positive social change in Rwanda.  

“We hope the increased awareness and support the couple have brought to Cricket Builds Hope will enable us to keep delivering powerful projects on the ground in Rwanda and spread the growth of cricket throughout the country.”

Our projects include:

Female empowerment programme: Cricket Builds Hope has just delivered a much praised 22 month Women’s Empowerment Programme uniquely aimed at using cricket to help unlock the leadership potential of 190 young women aged between 18 and 25 from low income families in the Gahanga area, just outside Kigali.

Tea Cup Coaching with Yorkshire Tea: Spreading the growth of cricket through Rwanda, we are working with Yorkshire Tea and the Rwanda Cricket Association to make cricket coaching available to school children and estate workers on four remote Rwandan tea estates.  The culmination of this 3 year programme will be a week-long inter estate competition to be hosted at the Stadium.