Grassroots Shropshire football club launches shirt appeal for African children
A local football team has joined forces with a church group to provide football shirts for underprivileged children in Nigeria.
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Bridgnorth Spartans Football Club has teamed up with Bridgnorth Baptist Church to support a the cause, as part of the Kings Kids Baptist Appeal.
Local volunteers from the church will be travelling to Nigeria in early October and are asking the local community to donate spare football tops. The aim is to fill a suitcase with shirts, bringing joy to children who are passionate about football.
The shirts will be delivered to Kings Kids, a branch of City Ministries based in Jos, Nigeria.
Kings Kids is a project that reaches out to some of the most vulnerable members of society, including orphans, widows, the disabled, and those affected by poverty and trauma.
At the heart of the initiative are 10 Care Centres spread across Nigeria, which provide full-time care for approximately 350 children who have lost one or both parents, or who come from extreme poverty or have been displaced by terrorism.
Ian Seymour. the locally-based mission support worker for the church and has been leading on their Nigeria project, said: “Football brings a huge amount of excitement and happiness to these kids. A simple shirt can mean the world to them.”
He added that te donated football shirts will be cherished by the children, who often have little to call their own.
A spokesperson for the Bridgnorth Spartans said: “The Bridgnorth community can play a pivotal role in supporting this appeal. Budgens Bridgnorth in Salop Street open seven days a week is the designated in-town drop-off point for football shirts up until the October 6, and also the Spartans Shack at Oldbury Wells School at weekends.
“The Bridgnorth Baptist Church team will then take the shirts with them on their mission to Nigeria. Whether you have a clean and gently used shirt from your playing days or a new one you'd like to donate, every contribution will make a difference. These shirts will bring not only smiles but also a sense of hope and encouragement to children who have faced enormous challenges in their young lives.”
