Melksham Town donate kit to youth in Africa

MELKSHAM Town FC have donated kit to the ‘Taking Football to Africa and Beyond’ charitable appeal, helping children and adults receive aid through football. 

Kits donated by Melksham Town were delivered to Juwawa Academy, a children’s school and linked youth teams in the north of Nairobi. The Royal Air Force, Taking Football to Africa and Beyond Charitable Appeal ended 2019 having delivered football kit to 16 countries worldwide over 35 deliveries.  

The appeal, run by Wing Commander Neil Hope MBE, has been operating from the North Shropshire airbase since 2006 and collects donated football kit before re-distributing them to children and adults across the globe.

Since its inception the appeal has delivered over 244,500 items of football kit and other items to people in 58 countries and in 2019, the appeal completed a hugely successful year by delivering over 27,400 items including over 6,700 football shirts.

Neil said, ‘It has been a hugely successful and busy year.  We have delivered items across the globe including those to children and adults across Africa, as well as assisting with items for children in Belarus, affected by the Chernobyl disaster, and to the refugee camps on the Syria/Turkey border.”

Darren Perrin, chairman of Melksham Town FC said, “This is just some of the community work we do for Africa here at the club, which includes the donating of kits and more. We will be donating again in March.”

The appeal continues to collect and re-distribute kit. More information can be received through Neil at neil.hope684@mod.gov.uk.