KitAid Monthly Update – August 2024
Hi all,
I hope you have all had a good month and have enjoyed a break. August is always a slow month for KitAid as so many people are on holiday, but even so, there is always a lot going on in the background. Here are the latest totals.
Total items donated in month = 1,944
Total items donated in 2024 = 57,911
Total items donated since 1998 = 1,085,359
KitAid USA
KitAid is now officially registered with the IRS in America and our reach is extended to another Continent. Many thanks to Kyle who has started things off Stateside. It will operate in Wisconsin to start with and then gradually expand to other States.
KitAid USA will be entirely independent but Ben Wildman will sit as a Director to act as a liaison between the two charities. Ben has already started to set up the social media side and please do follow online via
Twitter/X Facebook – @kitaidusa
Instagram -@KitAid_USA
Watch this space and online as KitAid USA takes off.
Afi Amezado – The Ghanaian Golf Girl
Afi arrived in the UK in mid August and since then she has been on a whirlwind tour of golf tournaments across Hertfordshire.
Through KitAid connections/supporters we have been able to create an incredible package for her. She has played at top courses such as The Grove and Moor Park and thanks to Ross from Five Star Trophies, she has been given access to West Herts GC to practice in between tournaments.
So far she has played in seven junior tournaments and has won Nearest the Pin at Welwyn Garden City, 2nd girl at Verulam and 1st girl at Manor of Groves.
She has adapted brilliantly and has gone from playing on a fairly basic course in Accra to playing on some World class greens. Afi comes from a very poor background, lives in a shipping container with five siblings sleeping in one room, and she has made many friends already.
A busy schedule has been created for September and KitAid has handed the day to day running to Ian Dell, our Regional Coordinator for Cambridge. Good luck to Afi for the rest of her stay and we really hope she finds a sponsor to help her develop into a professional golfer.
The Belfry – BETFRED British Masters
Today is the final day of the British Masters and KitAid has provided 21 volunteers across all five days to run the Chipping event and to collect donated golf kit for the Fafali Golf project in Accra.
Many thanks to all of the volunteers who have had an early start, driving to Sutton Coldfield for a 7-45am set up. It has been a wonderful experience and everyone has thoroughly enjoyed themselves. We have met hundreds of potential new supporters and received some great kit to support the project and new golfers in Ghana.
A massive thank you to Emilia Gilliland from the European Golf Tour for her support and hospitality every day.
As I write this update Afi and her coach, John, are being driven to the Belfry to experience VIP Hospitality in the Sir Nick Faldo suite for the final day of the tournament. Fingers crossed, in a couple of years, we could see Afi competing in a major tournament.
Royston Golf Club – Senior Captains Day
Many thanks to Ian Dell for dedicating his Captains Day to KitAid.
He raised £550 on the day and I was able to give a short presentation on our work to club members. Afi and John were made to feel very welcome and they were each given special gifts to commemorate their visit.
BBC 3 Counties – Non League Show
If you are at a loss for something to do at 6-15pm tomorrow (Monday 2nd Sept) evening, I will be interviewed about the links KitAid has with Non League football clubs across the country. We do have many links with FC United of Manchester, Chesham United, Marine, Witton Albion, Leverstock Green all being Ambassador Clubs. Kings Langley FC are currently holding kit collections for us at all home games in September.
KitAid works!
I think the following story indicates how KitAid is not only resilient but our network works.
Darren P received an email offering 300 brand new kits for toddlers. Darren is based in Milton Keynes and the kits were in Norfolk. He passed the contact on and I spoke to the grandmother of the girl we featured in the last monthly update who won Miss Teen Norwich. She agreed to get her son to contact the person, who then put him in touch with her daughter who had all of the kits in her garage in Wymondham. He collected all of the kits, drove them to his mother in Amersham the next day and I will collect them on Thursday to take them back to Hemel Hempstead!!
I honestly cannot imagine many of the top 100 charities would go to these lengths to save a £100 courier collection fee. KitAid works!!!
I don’t think I have ever written a monthly update with hardly any mention of football before, but it shows how KitAid is doing as the name suggests, and providing kit across multi sports.
Thanks everyone for your support and here’s to a great September.
Derrick
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