We would like to say a very big thank you to Garden City Runners for donating a wonderful £900 to KitAid from their 2019 Hatfield Business Park race series.

Also a similar thank you to Steve Thake and Peter Dommett from Affinity Water, who host the event. Both Steve and Peter have a big say in which charity is supported.

Well done to all of the runners and thanks to those who also donated kit.

See you in 2020

Calling all (fit) runners to enter the scenic 10 Mile Ricky Road Run, through the beautiful lanes of Chorleywood, Little Chalfont and Rickmansworth.

This event is close to our hearts as it was co-founded in 1984 by KitAid’s founder, Derrick Williams MBE. We also receive a donation every year from the run which is key to helping us meet our annual expenses.

If you like running this is a first class race, with friendly marshals and a very well organised event. For race details please log on to www.rickyroadrun.co.uk.

In the last fortnight KitAid has unfortunately lost access to two of its key storage facilities.

This is a significant problem for us as it limits the amount of kit we are able to collect and store. We are currently having to turn donations away, which we really struggle with, knowing the demand for kit in Africa and the developing world.

We need secure, accessible and reasonably priced storage units in Watford or Hemel Hempstead. If you know of any suitable facilities please get in touch as we need to resolve this problem quickly.

We were are grateful to Affinity Water and their fantastic staff for choosing KitAid as their charity of the month for August.

Staff donated an amazing £529 through bucket collections and a giant raffle in just one day. Affinity Water have agreed to match the amount donated, resulting in a tremendous total amount of £1,058. A lot of work went in to the day and we are also grateful to the organising team of Pete Dommett, Sharon Hammond, Elaine Nottage, Niel Johnstone and Sean McGuigan.

Affinity Water have supported KitAid throughout our 21 year history with use of facilities and storage space, which are both invaluable to the success of our charity. Many of their staff volunteer for us as well.

Thank You Affinity Water.

While the KitAid supporters were out in Malawi they inducted FOMO FC into the Ambassador Club hall of fame.

FOMO FC are the eighth club to be made an Ambassador and only the second club in Africa. The scheme is designed primarily to recognise clubs from the lower leagues who go the extra mile, over a long period of time, in their support of our work.

The specially framed membership certificate was presented to Mary Woodworth at FOMO FC’s Chitakale home ground, where they play in the “Thumbs Up” Malawi Premier League.

Welcome to the Ambassador Club FOMO FC.

A group of eight KitAid supporters, which included two experienced coaches from Liverpool County FA, headed out to Mulanje in South East Malawi, for a week in early August. This was our second trip to visit our close partner, FOMO Malawi, and our very good friends Mary and Keith Woodworth.

It was another excellent trip with the group witnessing at first hand the power of kit, in giving the FOMO supported teams proper kit and the chance to express themselves through sport. We attended the brilliant Football and Netball Bonanza tournament which KitAid sponsored, and saw the new full size metal goal posts being used, which we also sponsored.

Stu Carrington and David Pugh from Liverpool FA (LCFA)did a brilliant job coaching the FOMO FC first and reserve teams, and by the end of the week the lads were able to run their own coaching sessions. LCFA will now continue to support the teams with coaching material, equipment and hopefully a further visit next year.

The supporters had a life enhancing experience visiting many of the FOMO run orphan support centres, the FOMO School, Medical Centre, Nurseries and even the FOMO driving school. It was a superb trip and we are eternally grateful to FOMO Malawi for sharing the benefits of our partnership and taking such good care of everyone.

Very many thanks from Fran Dommett, Pamela Johnson, Susan Howie, Lee Seacombe, Thomas Enright, Stu Carrington, David Pugh and Derrick Williams.