News Update – July 2026

Hi all,

Welcome to the record breaking monthly update and I hope you are all having a great Summer.

We set a new record for the number of items of kit donated in a single month and here are the latest figures:

Total items of kit donated in July – 19,671

Total items of kit donated so far in 2026 – 79,169

Total items of kit donated since 1998 – 1,311,196

Incredible to think we donated more in July than the total for many of the years prior to 2012.

Ballysillan Football Camp

Once again we co-sponsored the incredible Football Camp in Ballysillan, North Belfast, and a team of KitAid supporters visited on the final day. This year three team members also helped referee what was a fiercely competitive World Cup tournament. They all did well and despite a few contentious decisions the boys and girls took it in good spirits. Holland won the final on penalties and the prizes were kindly donated by our very good friends Five Star Trophies.

Despite attending for many years the highlight for me is the subsequent visit to the BlueHouses centre afterwards. Peter gave a tour of the building and explained how his incredible team’s work makes such a difference to the community. Ballysillan has many social issues and without the team’s year-round support, things would be a lot harder.
Next year will be the 20th Anniversary of KitAid’s support and partnership for what started with a donation of a few Fulham FC shirts as prizes. It definitely is so much more than just a shirt….

26 for 26 Challenge

Our 26 for 26 challenge is taking shape, and we are delighted that a few of you have already registered their interest in helping KitAid raise vital funds to cover the storage of donated kit.

Whether you walk, run, cycle, swim or come up with your own unique 26-themed challenge, we would love you to get involved.

If you would like to register your interest and start planning your challenge for 2026, please contact Ben at kitaidyt@gmail.com

Get creative, get involved, and help us make a real difference.

Sam Davison/ Hertfordshire Constabulary Golf Day

A very big Thank You to Sam for choosing KitAid as the charity for the Hertfordshire Constabulary Golf Society Captain’s Charity Day.

Sam and his family have supported our work since the very early days. His mum, Jacky, was incredibly supportive; she collected a lot of kit for us and spread the word to her many friends. Dad Mark, is a Regional Coordinator and often drops kit off at my house.

Sam is awaiting the final total raised from the day but we believe it to be over £1,400. Half of the proceeds will be ring fenced for a specific project in memory of Jacky.

Ricky Road Run

We have once again been chosen as one of the charities for this year’s run.

It is a scenic, also known as hilly (!), 10 mile road run through the leafy Chiltern countryside on Sunday 18 October.

It would be great to have  a KitAid team, as we have had in previous years.  If you know of any runners who can join our team please let me know.

KitAid USA

Sadly we have taken the difficult decision to remove our support for KitAid USA.

It is disappointing but after 15 months it became clear that the supporting partnerships were not in place and unlikely to develop.

Nothing ventured nothing gained, as they say, but we did try and thank you to Kyle for trying. KitAid Australia and KitAid Scotland continue to flourish.

Positive Ending

Sadly we have taken the difficult decision to remove our support for KitAid USA.

It is disappointing but after 15 months it became clear that the supporting partnerships were not in place and unlikely to develop.

Nothing ventured nothing gained, as they say, but we did try and thank you to Kyle for trying. KitAid Australia and KitAid Scotland continue to flourish.

Following a donation of Aston Villa kit to a girls’ team in Uganda it was lovely to receive the following.

“Seeing the smiles it has brought to the girls is a wonderful reminder of the positive impact your generosity has had.”

Play on Foundation, Uganda

THANK YOU FOR OPENING AND READING THIS UPDATE. ANY FEEDBACK, SUGGESTIONS FOR CONTENT ETC GRATEFULLY RECEIVED.

Hope to see some of you at the next Hatfield Boxing Up session in late September/early October.

Derrick

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