A lovely message from KitAid Ambassador, Mary HD.
Thank you to all of our wonderful volunteers
If you are a football team applying for a kit donation, please read the following.
As KitAid is just a small volunteer run charity with a very limited income, we do not send kit overseas ourselves. Instead, we act as the kit collecting agent and we partner with charities and individuals here in the UK who arrange for the kit we donate to be sent to Africa and beyond. Each charity has to sign a “Partnership Agreement” with us, which commits them to getting the donated kit overseas at their expense. They also have to commit to providing photos and feedback once the kit has arrived. If this does not happen we will not work with the charity/individual again.
If you do have someone in the UK who can act for you and meet the Partnership Agreement conditions, please ask them to email us at kitaidcharity@gmail.com
We will then invite them to collect kit from us either in Hatfield, Hemel Hempstead or Liverpool.
Thank You
KitAid
The new KitAid Annual Review for 2020 is available and can be downloaded from the following link
http://kitaid.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/kitaid-annual-review-2021-paginated.pdf
The review is full of positive news stories and details of projects we supported during a very difficult year. It is incredible to think that despite months of lockdown, we still managed to send out over 74,000 items of kit across the Developing World.
Printed copies are available on request and we would like to thank Carole Parsons for her design work, which brings colour and life to each story.
We are pleased to now offer a beautifully designed and produced enamel badge to our supporters.
They are a limited edition and available to supporters by emailing your details to kitaidcharity@gmail.com
We will then reply giving you the address to send a SAE to or for those who do not volunteer for us, details of how to make a £5 donation,
They are being taken quickly so make sure you get yours before all 100 have been given out.
We are really pleased to be able to offer a specially designed t-shirt, which captures our admiration for our former Patron, the much missed Graham Taylor OBE.
The design was produced by specialist company, Made in Watford, who produce iconic landmark t-shirts, hoodies and posters.
They have been incredibly generous by donating 25% of sale proceeds to KitAid and 25% to the Watford Foodbank.
To order your t-shirt or poster, please use the link below. Both are also available in Subbuteo Green as well as Golden Yellow
https://madeinwatford.co.uk/collections/t-shirts/products/copy-of-graham-taylor-tee-golden-yellow
We met a group of boys sitting patiently outside the FOMO Malawi office in August 2019, as they had heard we had some kits and they were desperate to receive one for their new team.
We handed over an orange Harpenden Colts kit and the boys decided to name the team KitAid FC in our honour. They are incredibly dedicated and train twice a day, at 6am before school and then again in the afternoon. They even sacked a manager for turning up late to training and once marched an older boy to the local police station, as he had sold their kit to another team. They got it all back with the help of the police!
We have taken them under our wing and provided a set of junior goal posts as they were playing with a full size set. They have become the most successful team in the Mulanje district and had to start playing older boys, beating most of them. We also arranged for them to travel with the mens team, FOMO FC, to away games in the Malawi Super League, so they could play against better teams. In two years, they have only lost three games and one of these was against an U17 team.
With the help of FOMO Malawi, who look after the boys, we want to keep the team together for the next 5 years, so when they reach 18, they can continue into mens football. We would love them to enter the official Malawi Super League and time will tell, if many of the boys are tempted to join one of the big teams.
This story is typical of the talent that exists across Africa and we are proud to have played a part in giving KitAid FC a start in their football journey.
In view of the new Tier 3 and 4 Government restrictions we will no longer be able to receive or collect kit donations in person.
We would ask that you either post kit to the address below, using the “Parcels2Go” service or hold on to the donation until circumstances improve. We will issue further guidance once we are able to receive kit again. Like everyone, we hope this is soon.
The address for postal deliveries is
KitAid
Affinity Water Head Office
Tamblin Way
Hatfield
Herts
AL10 9EZ
WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING and as a responsible charity the safety of our volunteers is paramount.
Stay safe and very best wishes.
In line with the most recent Government changes, KitAid regional helpers can now start to collect kit donations in areas Tier 1 & 2.
If you live in a Tier 3 area please either post the kit to the address in Hatfield or hold on to it, until the restrictions have been relaxed. For full details please see www.kitaid.net and the “Kit Donations” section.
Thank you for your co-operation and please stay safe.
KitAid