We need your old football shirts (From Worcester News)

We need your old football shirts

3:10am Wednesday 10th March 2010 in

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TWO Worcestershire pubs are urging people to donate their unwanted football shirts to send to South Africa in time for this year’s World Cup.

The Perdiswell, Droitwich Road, Worcester, and Swan Inn, Worcester Road, Upton Warren, near Droitwich, have launched a “shirt amnesty” which will help provide football kits for disadvantaged youngsters. The amnesty is part of the pub’s charity campaign to support Project Fair Play. They are asking fans to dig out their unwanted football shirts, especially children’s sizes.

Instead of languishing at the back of the wardrobe, the old strips will be taken to South Africa and given to children in Johannesburg and Cape Town to be worn with pride while watching the World Cup in their country.

The charity Project Fair Play will also provide football facilities for children in the UK and across the globe.

The two pubs are raising funds to help build a new sports ground at the Ukhanyo School in Masiphumelele, South Africa, through the Happy Africa Foundation. The scheme will also help provide Alive and Kicking footballs for the children to use.

Despite the World Cup being held in South Africa, millions of children living in there have never played football, or “diski” as they colloquially call it, with a real ball.

The specially created Alive and Kicking balls are tough, repairable footballs made using African skills and African leather specifically for use on African terrain. Each ball carries an important message about HIV/Aids and malaria.

Project Fair Play also aims to buy Fairtrade footballs to help local sports projects for disabled and disadvantaged kids through children’s charity, KidsOut.

Hannah Hogg, deputy manager at the Swan Inn, said: “What better way to raise funds for our charity drive than through our biggest passion. Knowing how much our customers love their football, we’re sure there’s going to be no shortage of old shirts coming out of the closet .”