“Uplifting” is how David Ivon Gower described his return to Future Hope, set up 32 years ago by a highly-passionate former banker, Englishman Tim Grandage, on Thursday.
Gower’s only other visit to the Rowland Road institution, which has made a distinct difference to the lives of thousands of underprivileged children, had been during the 2001-2002 India vs England ODI at Eden Gardens. He was then on a Media assignment.
Casually dressed, in shorts and T-shirt plus a hat for protection, Gower spent at least 90 minutes during the course of which he even made a ‘comeback’ as a cricketer — facing seven-eight deliveries with reasonable assurance.
As someone present quipped: “David certainly is good enough to be labelled a future hope.”
Speaking to The Telegraph, Gower said: “Both on my first visit and this time, Future Hope has given the impression of a very happy place, with a large range of activities and a big emphasis on sport…
“On both occasions, I felt Future Hope breathes good attitude, something which will help in the development of the less-privileged children…
“The work being done by Tim, his wife Erica (roots in Holland) and the rest of the team is nothing short of brilliant.”
Gower continued: “What struck me on my first visit to Future Hope had been the affectionate attitude of the children. They wanted to hold my hand, show me around and were obviously delighted to host me. This time, too, I sensed exactly the same.”
Associating himself with charitable causes isn’t anything new for Gower, although he hasn’t limited himself to raising funds exclusively for leukaemia, as has been done by Sir Ian Botham.
Besides making the all-too-brief ‘comeback’, Gower interacted with the children. One among them, leg spinner Adnan Hussain, enthusiastically asked more than one question.
David Gower plays a game of cricket with children at the Future Hope in the city on Thursday. Picture by Santosh Ghosh
The questions related to Gower’s 14-year international career. For example, what he’d felt on making his debut and the most challenging bowler faced?
Gower’s answer to the first question was that his heart had been pumping faster and there, indeed, was some nervousness. As for the next one, Gower picked Malcolm Marshall as the one bowler who demanded the most out of him.
Not just Gower, one may add.
Incidentally, Gower’s visit to Future Hope coincided with that of 29 students and four teachers from the GEMS Modern Academy in Dubai. The Academy has been sending students and teachers over for the past four years as part of its community and social work curriculum.
Last week, students and teachers from a school in Hong Kong had come for much the same reason.
Asked what made him leave the cushy job of a banker (with HSBC), Grandage replied: “Actually, I was no good at banking! More seriously, I was the branch manager on Shakespeare Sarani and would regularly see street children in a rather pitiable condition...
“For starters, a dear doctor friend, Dr Jamunesh Chatterjee, helped by treating those children. Soon, however, they’d be back with the same illness and/or maybe even with more problems…
“That’s when I decided something needed to be done and we had to have a place where they could be educated and, if possible, have a roof above their head. The story of Future Hope was born then.”
Future Hope currently has 280 boys and girls. While half of them are housed in six homes of the institution, the rest spend the day (till 8.00 pm) with the other half of boys and girls, but return home which is usually in the slums.
Education at Future Hope is from kindergarten to class XII.
Grandage, meanwhile, is excited about the 24 acres in Rajarhat where Future Hope will expand and hopes to educate 750 children there. Much of the emphasis would, again, be on sport.
