Ed was a big personality who lived life to the full, was loved dearly by his family and friends, and is missed hugely by all who knew him. He was a talented sportsman who enjoyed playing both codes of rugby and cricket. Following Ed’s death in 2016, this Memorial Fund was established to honour his memory.

Ed enjoyed nothing more than travelling and meeting new people. Ed made so many good friends through rugby. The network of people you meet through sport is vast – it opened-up his world, and ours. At the same time, Ed was very aware of his privileges and how many people were not in the position to enjoy and participate in sport and education. He was kind, compassionate, and fun.

As a family, we/The Memorial Fund support(s) Tanzania Rugby Development (TRD), a NGO, which uses rugby as a tool to empower, grow, and develop children in and around Arusha in northwest Tanzania. The focus is on teaching and supporting the values of team, respect and discipline (TRD), helping young people to take pride in themselves and what they can achieve.

Young people from the programme are heavily involved in the development of their vision for the organisation and of their own futures. Working with communities, schools, local businesses and charities, TRD is tailored to the needs of young people as they grow older, through three programmes:

• Preparedness: TRD builds safe spaces for girls and boys aged 8 to 16 to grow and develop into well-rounded young adults and provides basic rugby coaching, social support and life skills.
• Performance: For girls and boys aged 16 to 18, this programme promotes the drive to succeed in rugby and other aspects of their lives through high performance training, matches and tournaments.
• Pathways: TRD creates opportunities for those aged 18 years and above to continue into activities of their choosing by promoting academic routes, vocational skills and entrepreneurship.