Shrewsbury Town FC join Shawbury based appeal
Shrewsbury Town Football Club has joined forces with a military appeal based around delivering football kits to the needy across the world.
Personnel from RAF Shawbury visited the Greenhous Meadow Stadium on Tuesday 13 December to collect a huge collection of football kits and training kits from the club for the Shawbury based ‘Taking Football to Africa and Beyond Appeal’. The boxes collected included an exceptional 2545 items.
The appeal has been running at the airbase since 2006 and is run by the units Community Relations Officer, Squadron Leader Neil Hope. The idea of the charity is to collect football shirts and kits and re-distribute them across the world.
Neil said;’ the appeal was originally intended to deliver the kits to Africa in the run up to the 2006 World Cup finals; however, it has surpassed expectations and has delivered over 48500 items including over 18500 shirts to 39 countries worldwide. I am really pleased to have received the kits from Shrewsbury Town as it continues our excellent links with the club. I am very grateful to the Shrews Chairman, Roland Wycherley, Manager, Graham Turner and club Secretary, Jayne Bebb, for thinking of the appeal when deciding to dispose of the kits. They will be delivered across the world and the RAF Shawbury team will distribute some of them in Kenya in June next year.’
This collection brings to an end another excellent year for the appeal, which continues to go from strength to strength. Deliveries over 2011 have included Zimbabwe, Kenya, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi, Afghanistan and the Falkland Islands. Anyone wishing to donate to the appeal or who may be travelling somewhere in the world and wish to deliver some kits can contact Neil at RAF Shawbury on 01939 250351 Ext 7572 or at neil.hope684@mod.uk.
