Kenyan grassroots football boosted through kit donations

Sunday 22 July 2018

Jersey FA Capita Centre of Excellence has donated 16 full sets of football kits to Nairobi’s grassroots football teams, which count up to 300 young footballers.

Jersey2Africa4Football (J2A), a Jersey based Not for Profit charity, presented eight local clubs with 16 full Jersey kits, together with training wear and equipment, as well as kits for coaches.

The donation was made possible by Link Assets Services contributing to the overall shipping costs of the equipment which in total weighted over 450kg.

The clubs received the kits during last month’s Stanbic Football Festival of Friendship, organised by J2A and co-hosted with a local community organisation Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA). The kits, which range in size between ages 12 and 17, will benefit 200 to 300 young footballers.

J2A has been working in the slum districts of Nairobi since 2012, predominantly by coaching youngsters in football, providing them with football boots, kits and equipment, as well as training some local volunteers and coaches. 

This project began last November when Capita Asset Services was acquired by Link Group and J2A was offered the entire inventory of playing and training kits from the JFA Capita Centre of Excellence.

Pictured: Simon Kelly, Sophie Botterill and Tom Murray of Link Asset Services with the footballs kits.

Anthony O’Keeffe, Chief Executive Officer of Link Asset Services commented: “As we’ve seen with the World Cup, football has the potential to transform lives and bring people together. We are extremely proud to have been able to provide support to Jersey2AfricaFootball with this initiative and it’s great to see that the kits have gone to such a worthy cause.”

Ricky Weir, founder and chairman of Jersey2Africa4Football, commented: “Football is enabling the children to develop life skills, including hard work, perseverance, commitment and discipline, as well as building a sense of community. 

“The support of Link Asset Services was key to being able to make this donation happen and it was great to partner with the Link team for this initiative.  Jersey-based businesses are hugely important to our project, and we hope to work with Link on future initiatives too.”