A KEEN cricketer has spent time in Africa teaching youngsters to play the sport as well as spreading awareness about HIV and Aids.

Jhon Cosgrove, a member of Steep Cricket Club, spent two weeks in Uganda with the charity Cricket Without Boundaries.

It’s his second trip to Africa having previously visited Rwanda last year with the charity. Jhon (36), from Steep, said: “It was amazing. I loved it last year so going back this year, I was expecting good things.

“We coached 5,000 kids cricket and HIV and Aids awareness over the two weeks. We went to three different parts of Uganda, visiting schools and orphanages.

“It’s amazing working with the kids out there because they all want to learn and play cricket. It’s a big sport out there.

“It’s really rewarding going out there and teaching them about cricket and the health messages.

“The kids love it when people come over and teach them something new.”

The charity works in five sub-Saharan African countries to deliver cricket development alongside health and social messages.

To raise money for the trip, Jhon released a charity rap single under the name of his alter ego Marmalade Pope, called Marmaladathon, as well as running 66 times around Steep Cricket Ground – a distance of 15 miles. He is also aiming to complete the Brighton marathon next April.

He had to raise £1,000 plus pay for his flights out to Uganda. He added: “I thought it would be a good way to get the funds up.

“It’s an unconventional way to promote something and I didn’t just want to do a raffle or a quiz night.”

Now, Jhon will start to think about a return trip. “I would definitely like to do it again,” he added.

“I love cricket and I love the fact that it’s something positive that’s spreading health awareness messages.

“People don’t really talk about HIV and Aids anymore which is a shame. It’s something that we should talk about more.”

To find out more information about the charity visit www.cricketwithoutbound aries.com and to sponsor Jhon in the Brighton marathon, visit www.virginmoneygiving.com/marmaladepope