Football coach looks to collect old kits to send to teams across world
Julian Driver (centre) is a coach for the U10s at Norwich United Football Club and has set up Kitz4Kids. - Credit: Norwich United
A football coach s hoping to build on a kit donation programme started by his club to send shirts and equipment to underprivileged young footballers across the world.
Julian Driver, from Hethersett, is a coach for Norwich United Football Club's U10s team, which donated more than 100 kits to young boys playing for the Humble Lions team in Ghana.
Following its success, Mr Driver wanted to expand the project to help other teams around the world and alongside his brother Mark Meekings, who lives in Lincoln, they have launched Kitz4Kids to collect kit to send abroad.
Members of the Humble Lions Football Team in Ghana with their donations from Norwich United Football Club. - Credit: Humble Lions
The next team to receive donations will be Nabster Football Club in Ghana.
Mr Driver said: "So many kits go to waste. When we buy them for the under 10s it's around £500 and they wear it for one or two seasons and then you have to put it into a container. It seems like a waste when there are kids all over the world who could use them. It doesn't just have to be Ghana, the teams can be anywhere, a club in the UK who is starting up with nothing, we would send them a kit.
"It's about getting kids into football."
The cost of sending large packages of kits abroad will cost around £500 each time, so Mr Driver has set up a Go Fund Me Page to start raising £1,000.
He said: "It made a huge difference to them [Humble Lions], so would like to continue to do this for other teams and children. Every penny raised will be spent sending the kits abroad.
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"It’s so good to be up and running, just in the 10 days we’ve been going, just been overwhelmed with all the support from people wanting to donate kits, boots, shin pads.
"We’ve collected over 70/80 kits already from someone associated with Nottingham Forest and getting more people contacting us with more kits to donate."
Among the items the team is looking to collect are shirts, shin pads, football boots, goalkeeper gloves and new footballs.
Those wishing to make donations can contact the club through its Kitz4Kids Facebook group or call Mr Driver on 07402049413 to arrange a collection.
