Specsavers Leyland post adorable snap of South African kids in football kits they funded
The club has donated more than 300 football kits.
The team at Specsavers in Leyland have shared an adorable snap of South African kids in kits they funded.
Since 2021, the club has donated more than 300 football kits, as well as 200 pairs of boots, 150 footballs, training equipment and five sets of goals.
The initiative began when parents at the club with links to South Africa and Kenya took kits back to their home villages.
It has since developed through support for Football Without Borders and The Jamwelly Foundation, with equipment finding a new life with football communities in South Africa, Gambia and Kenya.
Mark Burke, club chairman, says: ‘The partnership with Specsavers Leyland has ensured we have been able to send over 180 kits to South Africa, Gambia and Kenya for a well-deserved second life.
“This also ensures that football communities with fewer resources get to enjoy the same standard of kit while playing football.‘It is a great achievement to see these kits being reused with happy children playing the game they love.
“On top of the kits, we have also donated goalposts, footballs, football boots and training equipment.”
The sponsorship forms part of Specsavers Leyland’s wider commitment to the community, supporting opportunities for people to stay active, make friends and enjoy grassroots sport.
Leyland Pirates FC
The business is also entering its fourth season sponsoring Pirates FC - a family friendly community football club that has grown significantly since the partnership began.
The locally owned and run store has committed £8,000 to the sponsorship, helping the club provide recreational and competitive football for players from Under 8s through to Under 18s, as well as an Over 35s team.
Since the initial partnership Leyland Pirates has grown from 13 teams to 20 and now supports over 250 players from Leyland and the surrounding area.
The sponsorship has also enabled the club to redirect funds towards the hire of all-weather 3G pitches, helping ensure players can continue to play football during poor weather, as well as investing in player equipment and coaching resources.
For store manager Paul Slater, the partnership is an important way for the business to give something back to the community it serves.
He said: “It’s important to us as a local business in the heart of Leyland that we give something back, and supporting Leyland Pirates FC is a great way of helping children participate in sport.
“We’re now going into our fourth season supporting the club and it’s fantastic to see how much they have grown during that time.
“We’re proud that our support is helping the club invest in the pitches, equipment and coaching resources that allow so many people to enjoy football week in, week out.”
Michael Treadwell, club secretary at Leyland Pirates, added: “Our partnership with Specsavers Leyland has helped us really develop as a club to where we want to be. Without their support over the past three seasons and moving into the fourth season, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”