If there can be a more apt way to secure a loved one’s legacy than by ensuring future generations can have the opportunity to enjoy the very same things that they loved so much, it would perhaps be hard to find.

For the family of Robert Rampley, the Trent Bridge Community Trust provided an ideal recipient for their exceptionally kind donation of £500, made in his honour by his family and friends.

The donation will go directly to supporting young people in the city to access cricket delivery, in areas that would normally not receive that chance.

Ever the keen sportsman, Robert had participated in grassroots football and cricket for much of his life, so when his son, Anthony,  discovered the Trust, it was a near-perfect match.

“We found out about the Trust online,” explains his daughter, Helen. “My brother did some research when we were looking at making donations in my late father’s memory, so we did some Googling!

“The reason we chose the Trust is because my dad was very much a big cricketer and a footballer. He started playing  in the 1950s at primary school, all the way through to his fifties.

“I had joked in his eulogy, that when he couldn't quite see the ball quick enough, he moved on to playing golf, away from cricket and football.

“But he still enjoyed watching it and following local teams, and simply supporting the sports, which he started when he was very young. ”

Local resident Helen went on to explain how the Nottinghamshire-focused nature of the Trust, and its association with Trent Bridge as a world-famous sporting venue, further increased its appeal.

“Our family grew up in the Vale of Belvoir,” says Helen, “and Dad grew up in and around West Bridgford and Nottingham, spending his life in the area.

“He wasn’t someone who had lived in all four corners of the country, which is why it meant a lot ot us that we stayed local with our donation

“It was a familiar venue with a strong sporting reputation and so it resonated with us.

“Had Dad lived in more places, it would have been more natural to donate on a national level in his memory, but because his roots were so deeply engrained in Nottinghamshire, it was important to us that we’d stay local,” she explains.

“We hoped that by donating locally, we could have some personal influence over the use of the funding, and be able to relate to where it went a little more, because it’s on our doorstep. It felt a little more personal.”

Retaining a level of control over their donation proved another motivating factor in Robert’s family’s decision to donate to the Trust, as Helen recalls the positivity she felt following her earliest contact with the charity.

Robert had discovered his love for football and cricket  at a young age, and Helen added that she could think of few better ways for his family and friends  to honour him than by supporting the delivery of sport to today’s young people.

“We wanted it to be part of his legacy, to be providing opportunities for young people in the field of football and cricket, who might not otherwise have that opportunity,” says Helen.

“When we first got in contact with the Trust, we asked if the donation we were about to make could be ring-fenced in order for it to go towards something that Dad would have appreciated.

“Mark at the Trust suggested cricket delivery for young people, and it was just such a welcoming, supportive, and encouraging conversation to have.

“I think if we’d tried to identify a charity that offered exactly what we were hoping to find, it would have been like searching for a needle in a haystack.

“A prompt, courteous and sympathetic email from Mark following me getting in touch showed we had found the needle. It really reinforced the personal nature of the Trust, and it made us believe they would truly honour my late father in the way we had hoped.”

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Donate to the Trent Bridge Community Trust

We are very grateful for your kind donations. However much you can spare makes a difference.

£3 pays for a person with dementia to attend a Forget Me Notts session.

£10 pays for a child to attend a Healthy Hearts session.

£25 pays for a year’s mentoring for a young person with Positive Futures.

To donate to the work of the Trust, click here.