Clara's Scott to help plant one million trees in Africa!

A former Offaly footballer will travel to Africa next month to take part in a unique fundraising initiative which aims to combat the far-reaching impact of climate change.

Scott Brady from Clara will take part in the Plant the Planet' Games which will see a group of GAA stars and musicians travel to Kenya on November 17 as part of a Warriors for Humanity campaign in aid of Self Help Africa, which has set a target of planting one million trees across the vast continent.

Scott, who played at minor, U/21 and Senior level with Offaly as well as playing club football with his native Clara, is required to raise a total of f €10,000 in order to take part in the once-in-a-liftetime trip and is concentrating all his efforts on reaching his fundraising target over the next couple of weeks.

He admits that the upcoming trip will be “a dream come true” as he has always been interested in doing some form of charity work, particularly in Africa. “I was always aware of the work that Ronan Scully was doing with Self Help Africa, but I actually didn't get involved with this particular charity initiative through Ronan,” he says, adding that he became aware of the Plant the Planet Games through well-known Galway dual GAA player, Alan Kerins, who is the founder and CEO of the Warriors for Humanity charity.

Alan linked up with Self Help Africa in their quest to plant one million trees as part of a sustainability project in Africa, and the inaugural Plant the Planet Games took place last year when up to 50 inter-county GAA players travelled to Africa, playing the national game on African soil for the first time, meeting and interacting with the local community, visiting schools, planting trees and raising over half a million euros in the process.

Scott Brady, who is married to Sarah and has two daughters, Seren (12) and nine year old Aria, says it will be “a unique experience” to lace up his football boots in Africa next month having played his last GAA game over two years ago, but he adds that he is “looking forward” to the challenge. “It's hard to beat youth when it comes to playing sport, so it will be a test for me, but it's all for a good cause,” he says.

In order to meet his fundraising target of €10,000 Scott Brady has set up an iDonate fundraising page https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/ScottBrady861 and is asking people to “get involved” in supporting the Plant the Planet Games. To date he has raised almost €3,500 and he says the fundraising page will remain open after his trip to Africa so people will still have a chance to place a donation.

“Everyone has been really supportive so far” he says “and every penny counts so whether someone donates €10 or €500 all funds will make a huge difference to the families and communities that are being supported by Self Help Africa”.

As part of Scott Brady's fundraising efforts, limited edition GAA jerseys are available at €20 each and the full price of every jersey purchased from Scott's portal https://portaleur.myshopify.com/collections/warriors-for-humanity-Scott-Brady will go directly to his fundraising efforts.

The 50-strong group of male and female GAA players who will travel to Kenya next month will spend time in Nairobi, Iten and Londiani and will be joined by a group of musicians and dancers from Ireland called 'Flights of the Swallows' (many of whom are also GAA stars!) who will take part in an authentic cross-cultural music and dance exchange with their Kenyan hosts.

The goal of the trip is to plant one million trees in Africa in partnership with Self Help Africa, who have spent several decades working closely with local farmers and communities. Each tree planted represents a livelihood for an African family, and an integral part of the project is to train farmers on how to manage their trees so that they can benefit future generations and help to create sustainability and combat the harmful effects of climate change and poverty.

Speaking at the launch of the 2023 Plant the Planet Games, the founder of the project and CEO of Warriors for Humanity, Alan Kerins, said “Every tree we plant, every euro we raise, and every journey we embark on is a testament to the collective power of sports and humanity. The Plant the Planet Games is not just about combatting climate change, but also about enlightening souls, building bridges between communities, and redefining the meaning of victory.”

Scott Brady will be flying the flag for Offaly and Clara on his upcoming trip to Kenya and is appealing to any individual or corporate sponsor who would like to sponsor his fundraising efforts for the Plant the Planet Games to get in touch with him on his iDonate page: https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/ScottBrady861

“I am really grateful for every donation, no matter how big or small it is, and I am really looking forward to what will be a life-changing experience for me,” concludes the former Offaly GAA star.