Nicknamed 'Chuck', Berry played 153 first-class games with South Australia and Victoria before taking the leap into coaching.

He was formerly head coach of South Australia and also coached the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League.

Now 52, Berry lives on the Mornington Peninsula, where he is still involved with coaching at a grassroots level and is the director of cricket and head coach at Rowville Secondary College.

His first-class career was highlighted by 552 catches and 51 stumpings, complemented by 4273 runs with the bat at an average of 21.58, with a highest score of 166 not out.

An undoubted high point of his career came during the 1997 Ashes tour, when he was selected to replace the injured Adam Gilchrist as the team's second-string wicketkeeper, albeit he did not play a Test.

Berry, a strong advocate of sports chaplaincy, is excited to be sharing his insights into international cricket and sport with a Bendigo audience.

SCA country Victoria coordinator Bruce Claridge said the body was pleased to bring back its annual dinner to highlight the work of its chaplaincy network in Victoria.

"At a time when mental health is such an important concern for Victorian sports clubs, SCA needs the support of the wider community to continue its work of training chaplains and helping clubs who go through tragedies in their sporting community," he said.

"Darren is a great supporter of sports chaplaincy and someone who brings authentic personal insights into the world of cricket and international sport in general.

"Darren will share some of the challenges he faced during his sporting career and highlight the need for sporting communities to be aware of the broader needs of their members beyond the fields of play."

The dinner will be held at the Bendigo Pottery Function Centre on Sunday, May 29, starting at 6pm.

Tickets are $49.50.

For bookings, go to Try Booking and search 'Sports Chaplaincy Regional Dinner' or follow this link https://www.trybooking.com/BXKEG.

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