A cricket-mad podcaster from Raynes Park is taking on the inspirational challenge of walking to every Ashes Test match to raise money for the Lord’s Taverners.
Eugene Berger, 44, and fellow ‘Slogging It’ co-hosts Johnno Gordon and Simon Roberts will be trekking between all five grounds throughout the hotly-anticipated series this summer.
The challenge began this Monday, with the trio heading off from Lord’s Taverners headquarters in Chancery Lane, London, aiming to make it to Edgbaston, Birmingham, by the time the First Test starts on Friday.
They will then embark on a gruelling route that will take them from Birmingham to London – Lord’s – London to Leeds – Headingley – Leeds to Manchester – Old Trafford – then Manchester back to London for the final match at the Oval at the end of July.
Having initially started their podcast to encourage people to talk about cricket and their mental health, the trio realised they could make an invaluable difference and raise vital funds.
“We realised there was potential to try and support a charity, to try and promote something important,” said Berger.
“We thought Lord’s Taverners would be a great charity to promote and support.
“The brainchild from this walk came from Simon. He said: ‘We’ve got the Ashes, I really want to do something to make a difference.’
“We decided to walk the Ashes, starting from Lord’s Taverners HQ and try to do Edgbaston in four days.
“Next week we’re not walking, so we do have the chance to rest and recuperate a little. The turnaround from the Lord’s test to Headingley is three days, so that is the one walk where we’re not going to be walking together – we’re going to be doing it in relay.
“Leeds to Manchester will be a nice one because we’re going to be crossing the Pennines, and lastly from Manchester back down to London – effectively that one we will be doing in relay again.”
The Lord’s Taverners impacts the lives of young people facing the challenges of inequality.
The charity works across the UK and beyond to provide inclusive and impactful cricket programmes, empowering young people with disabilities and from disadvantaged communities.
The trio are taking on the challenge to support the charity’s work to positively impact the lives of young people facing the challenges of inequality.
Berger added: “The charity is very close to our hearts – we’ve been supporting them and their work with disadvantaged children for the best part of two years now.
“Whether it’s one of the four programmes that they run, there’s all sorts of different ways.
“From our perspective they’re a cricket related charity, we’re a cricket related podcast, there’s a really good synergy between the two.”
To make a donation to the Walk The Ashes Challenge, click here
