A THOUGHTFUL young goalkeeper is saving football shirts and equipment for disadvantaged children in Africa.
Football-mad Lily Saunders was inspired after hearing about the work of charity Boots2Africa while at Ipswich Town FC’s Portman Road, where she has been a season ticket holder for a number of years.
The Year 10 Avon Valley School pupil is asking for unwanted football shirts, shorts and boots to give to the charity, which will send them to Africa.
Lily, who counts Ipswich’s shot-stopper Harry Wright as her favourite player, regularly plays in goal for Leicestershire side East Goscote United Girls FC.
As part of her appeal Lily asked her own team, along with a number of local clubs, if they will support her collection.
Avon Valley’s PE department has also set up a collection box so her classmates can donate.
Boots2Africa collects, transports and distributes the kit to Africa’s children and young adults, to combat the thousands of deaths which occur on the continent each year due to foot infections contracted by children who do not have shoes.
In 2018, the charity sent over 5,000 pairs of boots and around 16,000 items of football kit to young people in 11 African countries.
Head teacher Alison Davies said: “This is a tremendous example of how kind and thoughtful our students are.
“Lily has gone out of her way to support Boots2Africa after learning about their work. Not only has Lily donated her own items but she is now inspiring others to donate theirs.”
Visit www.boots2africa.co.uk/home.html for more information about the charity.
