Callum’s love for football was born in the back garden, playing with his two older brothers. After moving to Scotland in 2010, he joined a club to learn the basics, and by age six, he was proudly standing between the posts as a goalkeeper. For seven years, he dedicated himself to his first team, where football was both a passion and a source of stability.

A pivotal moment came when he was scouted by a more competitive team after impressing a coach during a school match.  Callum made the leap, encouraged by supportive coaches and his proven skills on the pitch. This transition marked his first lesson in stepping out of his comfort zone, a theme that would echo throughout his journey.

Yet, football had more trials in store. In 2023, after struggling with limited playtime in a new under-20s team, Callum faced an even greater setback, he dislocated his shoulder just 10 minutes into the match. The injury left him feeling helpless, unable to play or referee, the very activities that had kept his passion for the sport alive. Callum was told that if he didn’t have surgery to stabilise his shoulder he would never play football again.

The road to recovery was both physical and mental. Surgery was inevitable, and Callum approached it with determination, knowing it was the key to reclaiming his passion. Though the recovery sidelined him from refereeing temporarily, his resilience never wavered.

Arriving in Ghana marked a turning point. Eager to reconnect with football, Callum quickly found a new home with the Kickers, a local team that welcomed him with open arms. Back on the pitch, he rediscovered not just his skills but also his strength and confidence in the sport. A fun fact about his new team, Kickers FC, is that one of their former players, Terry Yegbe, was born in their town Akatsi, represented the Kickers in his youth, and is now playing internationally for Ghana.

The friendships he’s formed and the mentorship from his Coach Alex, fondly known as ‘The Don’ have been instrumental in his journey.

Below: (Left) Callum with his country group

(Right) and with Coach Alex on the left.

Callum’s story is more than just a tale of sports and setbacks. It’s a testament to the transformative power of volunteering with Project Trust. Through his year in Ghana so far, he’s not only rebuilt his relationship with football but also rediscovered parts of himself he thought were lost. His journey shows that sometimes, stepping away from the familiar and immersing yourself in a new environment can be the most profound path to personal growth and empowerment.

Find our more about Volunteering in Ghana here

As we close one chapter of our Volunteer year and eagerly begin the next, we’re reminded of the profound impact that volunteering with Project Trust can have, not just on the Volunteers themselves, but also on their families. Eddy and Caroline Pearce, parents of Martha, who volunteered in Ghana during 2023/24, offer a heartfelt reflection from a parent’s perspective, highlighting the transformative journey their daughter embarked upon and the lasting influence it had on their family.

Her sadness lay in the  thought of losing that intangible magic which makes a place home. True sadness can only exist once we have known true joy, and loss is so often a place from which growth begins. What Martha left behind in Ghana is not lost. It is a web of memories, of moments, of joy, now embedded in her as she continues to grow.

Having seen her there allowed me to be happy when I knew she was so sad, and to love that she had found a place which was home to her, but not to us. The most primal parental instinct is to protect their child, yet the strongest need of a child is to grow and develop the skills and resilience required to survive without the parental protection. Somewhere, sometime, somehow us parents need to learn to let go.

Whilst in Ghana, Eddy took portraits of the young people at the School. Martha then printed these out and one was given to each participant, many of whom had never had a printed photo of themselves.

Letting go is so hard, but indefinitely easier when there is a safety net. From day 1 we had the utmost trust in Project Trust to provide essential support but hadn’t anticipated how that solid foundation might nurture multiple safety nets. Lucy and Romilly, Martha’s project partners, have been soul mates beyond extraordinaire, and the wider group of Ghana PT Volunteers have been a fantastic and supportive network of friends, travel companions and social media commentators, keeping us connect to a home which isn’t ours. Our gratitude to that big gang, to those nets which enabled us to give the hardest gift and to let go, is endless!”

Ghana Volunteers at Heathrow upon their return to the UK in August 2024 (left) and at departure in 2023 (right).

Find out more about Volunteering in Ghana here.