KitAid Monthly Update – February 2025

Hi all,

The New Year has started off where the old one left and January has been another good month for KitAid. Here are the latest totals:

Total items donated in January/2025  =  5,530
Total items donated since 1998           =  1,130,509

Ricky Road Run

You may recall KitAid was chosen as one of the charities for the 40th Ricky Road Run which was held last October.

We had a wonderful surprise when an amazing donation of £4,080 was transferred to the KitAid bank account as our share of the proceeds from the event.  This is one of the biggest single donations we have ever received and it will pay for the container hire costs for the whole of 2025.

A massive thank you and congratulations to the team of graduates from Affinity Water who organised the event and to all of the race sponsors and runners.

Hertfordshire FA

Ben Wildman and myself attended an evening event for Charter Standard Clubs across the County. We were given a 15 minute slot at the meeting to present on KitAid. Interestingly more than half of the Clubs present had previously donated to KitAid but it was a really useful opportunity to remind people of our work.

From the meeting we have started discussions with Garston Ladies about setting up a twinning partnership with Lobangula City Queens from Zimbabwe. Once this is established we will look to extend the arrangement with some other Clubs. If you are reading this and you are from a Club who might be interested in twinning please let me know.

Vin O’Brien

Vin recently let me know that he has decided to retire as a Regional Rep for Formby after many years of service to KitAid.

I would like to pay tribute to Vin as without his support in the very early years I am certain KitAid would not be in the position it is today. In 2005 Sally Howe and myself attended a meeting at Anfield and met Vin for the very first time. Vin worked in the main PR team at Liverpool FC. He immediately understood what KitAid was about and he arranged to take the Champions League trophy into a local school, let the children have their photo taken with it and arranged for the donations to be presented to KitAid on the pitch at half time at Anfield. When he retired from the Club he came on board as a Regional Rep.

In the early years KitAid needed to build a reputation and to get the support of some big name clubs.  Vin’s support laid the foundations of where KitAid is today.

Enjoy your second retirement Vin and many thanks from all of your friends at KitAid.

2025 Thank You certificates

I have posted a number of certificates to the Regional Coordinators I am unlikely to see at a boxing up session in Hatfield. If you haven’t received any and you are unlikely to attend the next boxing up session please let me know. The next session is pencilled in for 8 March, and once the venue availability is confirmed, I will send out the invitation email.

Positive End Note

We received the following message from the Yayotse Organisation in Ghana which really captures the spirit of KitAid and why we all do what we do:

“KitAid has, by this donation, afforded our young people, who are mostly underprivileged and underserved, a glimmer of hope and a sense of belongingness that the world has their back.”

Thanks to everyone for your support which makes the above possible.

Derrick
KitAid