October 17, 2019 4.56 pm This story is over 53 months old

Imps kit used to inspire teams in Africa

A local youth team in Mozambique is now aiming high

The Lincoln City kit is inspiring youngsters in Africa.

A Lincoln City kit is inspiring youngsters across South Africa, Mozambique and Uganda after a donation from KitAid.

The Oasis (Football for Life) team in Beira (Mozambique), the area which was heavily impacted by Cyclone Idai in March, received the kit because of an amazing chain of community-based charities stretching right back to Sincil Bank.

The youth team in Beira is now aiming high in its local league thanks to the kit donation from KitAid.

KitAid is a charity that recycles your once loved football kit and distributes to children and adults across the developing world.

KitAid is a charity that recycles your once loved football kit and distributes to children and adults across the developing world. Since 1998 around 621,000 items have been donated. Former Lincoln City and England manager Graham Taylor was also a patron of KitAid.

Lincoln fan Thomas Enright is a regional Co-ordinator and KitAid Trustee, who collected the kit during a Lincoln Disability FC training session.

When the kit was no longer needed at LDFC, volunteer Sophie Bartup, contacted KitAid to see if it would be of use anywhere else. The kit was then taken down to KitAid’s storage in Hatfield.

Proudly wearing a Lincoln City shirt.

Thomas said: “At KitAid we have a saying that ‘It’s more than just a shirt’. Football is loved across the world and the donation of your no-longer needed kits makes a massive impact in helping social inclusion and sports development in communities with almost next to nothing.”

Sophie Bartup, former volunteer at Lincoln Disability FC, added: “It is so inspiring to see the teams wearing their shirts so proudly. I really never thought these kits would be worn again”.

Dave Caswell, the Global Co-ordinator at Oasis Football for Life, personally took several sets of kit from KitAid to projects across South Africa, Mozambique and Uganda.

The kit was passed on to Dave Caswell, the Global Co-ordinator at Oasis Football for Life, which is a charity that works with marginalised young people to build their self-esteem and help them make wise and health choices.

Dave then personally took several sets of kit from KitAid to projects across South Africa, Mozambique and Uganda. He also provided football coaching sessions for the Oasis FFL youth team in Beira.

He said: “We’re grateful to KitAid for the support of kits and balls for our projects, which provides a great encouragement and motivation for our teams, and helps to develop that sense of identity and belonging that is so important to the vision of FFL.”