The Shawbury based ‘Taking Football to Africa and beyond’ Appeal has made a major delivery destined for children in Tanzania.
Squadron Leader Neil Hope, the Appeal organizer, travelled to Nottingham, with Corporal Mike Jones, to deliver football kits and books to students who assist in the READ International Charity. READ collect academic books from schools across the United Kingdom and store and sort them at Universities around the country. The books are then transported by sea to Tanzania where the students distribute them across schools in the East African Country. This is the third time that Neil has delivered kits to Nottingham University for distribution by READ International with the books. The Nottingham students store the books and kits at Big Yellow Storage on Lenton Lane, near the university who proudly sponsor the project.
Neil and Mike delivered 12 tri-wall boxes of kits donated from clubs across the country. The boxes included 5 boxes full of kits donated by Carlisle United FC, and other boxes with kit donated by AFC Newbury, Sheffield Trophy Centre, Newcastle Blue Star FC, Wycliffe College, Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, Ruth White, Wryley Juniors FC, Dave Miller, Glasgow Rangers FC, Lincolnshire FA, RAFFA, Mark Haining, Abbeydale Grange School in Sheffield, Dougie Hamilton, Ruth Craven and Sports ID Ltd. The boxes contained nearly 1500 items including nearly 500 football shirts.
As well as delivering football kits Neil also delivered 3 boxes of books left over from a previous collection from Albrighton Primary School. Mike Jones delivered a huge amount of school books that he had collected from Huyton Arts and Sports Centre. That donation resulted from Mike speaking to the school about his experiences earlier this year when delivering kits on behalf of the appeal in Kenya.
To date the appeal has now delivered 46505 items, including 18312 shirts to 39 countries worldwide. Donations are continuing to arrive at RAF Shawbury.
Anyone wishing to donate to this appeal can do so by contacting Neil on 01939 250351 Ext 7572 or at cro@direct.shawburyigs.raf.mod.uk
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