Destination Papua New Guinea

Sustainability News

Old rugby training kits wouldn’t be the top of everyone’s wish list, but for the Stanley Gene Foundation, it doesn’t get much better.
Peter Tyson, a process operator at Sellafield Ltd and avid Whitehaven Rugby League fan, learned of Stanley Gene’s plight to tackle deprivation in his native Papua New Guinea.

Peter with some of the donated rugby kits

Stanley the former Hull KR player and captain of the Papua New Guinea’s national team said: “For years I was sending things back  to Papua New Guinea and decided to set up a charity to do it properly.
“The help that we receive is invaluable to the foundation; I would like to thank the people of West Cumbria for donating, it really does make a difference.
 “The purpose of the foundation is to reach the unreachable communities in Papua New Guinea, in some schools there are no chairs so the kids have to learn on the floor and for people in the mountains, some of the kids don’t have any clothes.”
Peter said: “It’s been over whelming seeing how generous people are, I posted on Facebook and the Whitehaven Rugby League website, asking for unwanted clothes and training kits and what started out as a few bags of clothes has spiralled into teams donating their old training kits, rugby balls and all sorts of other things.
“We are also holding a ‘bring-a-gift’ event at the Whitehaven and Leigh match this week.
“I would like to thank Egremont Rugby Union, Glasson, Wath Brow, Kells and Whitehaven Rugby League clubs, and everyone who has shown support.”