Click on tabs to open and close.
Our Aims
The aim of Kits4Causes/Afrikit is to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of social development solutions via the use of football and the football kits and equipment that we provide.
This aim is broken down into two separate aims: 1. The largest UK distributor of donated football kit for philanthropic purposes, helping causes throughout the world including in the UK. 2. To educate people within the UK of the use of football and football kit in achieving social development aims through the "Your kit can be more than just a kit" programme. We aim to help any organisation in any country throughout the world who works directly with a community or communities to help solve a social problem. Football provides a real incentive for change, and we aim to work with any organisation that recognises the use of football for social change.
So far we have:
- Helped to break-down the enshrined stigma of HIV/AIDs via the use of football, tackling HIV/AIDs head on via the use of preventive education.
- Helped to bring warring communities together, playing an active role in the South Sudan as well as in Northern Nigeria between Christian and Muslim communities.
- Helped to increase the importance of education, increasing attendance at schools.
- Helped to widen the reach of health education provided by organisations.
- Put a smile on over 8000 people and brought them a bit of joy and happiness.
This aim is broken down into two separate aims: 1. The largest UK distributor of donated football kit for philanthropic purposes, helping causes throughout the world including in the UK. 2. To educate people within the UK of the use of football and football kit in achieving social development aims through the "Your kit can be more than just a kit" programme. We aim to help any organisation in any country throughout the world who works directly with a community or communities to help solve a social problem. Football provides a real incentive for change, and we aim to work with any organisation that recognises the use of football for social change.
So far we have:
- Helped to break-down the enshrined stigma of HIV/AIDs via the use of football, tackling HIV/AIDs head on via the use of preventive education.
- Helped to bring warring communities together, playing an active role in the South Sudan as well as in Northern Nigeria between Christian and Muslim communities.
- Helped to increase the importance of education, increasing attendance at schools.
- Helped to widen the reach of health education provided by organisations.
- Put a smile on over 8000 people and brought them a bit of joy and happiness.
Our Reason
Football is a universally loved game, watched by billions all over the world. Football can be the catalyst for developmental change, regardless of cultural barriers that are experienced or the greatest of enshrined inequities or prejudices. Football can break them down and provide real and sustained development.
Every year, football clubs will introduce a new kit for the start of the new season. Out of the 20 clubs that participate in the English Premier League, 18 of those clubs have had a new home kit each season for the last 3 years. Football shirts are a commodity that go out of date at an incredible rate and the majority of these "out of date" shirts are hidden in the deepest darkest depths of your wardrobes never to be seen again. It is not just replica club shirts, but also many amateur league teams will change their kit once every two seasons on average, leaving a whole kit that will be never used again. Many of these old kits are wasted when in reality they could serve a much greater purpose rather than never being worn again.
Governments and NGOs across the world spend millions every year in development and financial aid for third world countries. Whilst money is needed in order to accomplish any developmental aims it is wasted if we cannot engage with the populous and give them reason to address the issues. Football provides that reason.
We strongly believe that through the use of sporting programmes within grass-roots NGO projects social development can be more widespread, more effective and more efficient throughout the world, providing a better future.
Every year, football clubs will introduce a new kit for the start of the new season. Out of the 20 clubs that participate in the English Premier League, 18 of those clubs have had a new home kit each season for the last 3 years. Football shirts are a commodity that go out of date at an incredible rate and the majority of these "out of date" shirts are hidden in the deepest darkest depths of your wardrobes never to be seen again. It is not just replica club shirts, but also many amateur league teams will change their kit once every two seasons on average, leaving a whole kit that will be never used again. Many of these old kits are wasted when in reality they could serve a much greater purpose rather than never being worn again.
Governments and NGOs across the world spend millions every year in development and financial aid for third world countries. Whilst money is needed in order to accomplish any developmental aims it is wasted if we cannot engage with the populous and give them reason to address the issues. Football provides that reason.
We strongly believe that through the use of sporting programmes within grass-roots NGO projects social development can be more widespread, more effective and more efficient throughout the world, providing a better future.
Our Team
Our History
October 2009 – Afrikit was established by 5 second year University of Sheffield Students. Andrew Trott, Jack Hands, Terry Denness, Elliot Bryan and Rob Preston. Aim was to collect and send 2018 football shirts to Africa to represent the 2010 football World Cup in South Africa and England’s bid for the 2018 football World Cup.
January 2010 – Teamed up with Decathlon Sheffield to provide a football kit donation point.
March 2010 – Sent first set of donated kits out to Kenya.
June 2010 – Created the Afrikit website.
November 2010 – Expanded our donation stations to include Decathlon Lakeside, Stockport, Giltbrook and Wednesbury.
February 2011 – Afrikit on SkySports News, BBC World Service and in the Sunday Mirror due to huge volume of Torres and Carroll kits received thanks to their transfers.
March 2011 – Our first independent trip to distribute kits – West Pokot, Kenya.
May 2011 – The Team and supporters ran the Sheffield Half Marathon raising over £2000.
June 2011 - Distributed over 5000 football kits and equipment to over 10 countries.
July 2011 – Redesigned and updated the Afrikit website.
November 2011 – Created the Kits4Causes project.
January 2012 – Worked with Salisbury City FC, Bath City FC, Yeovil Town FC and UEFA.
February 2012 - Expanded organisations supported to all across the UK
January 2010 – Teamed up with Decathlon Sheffield to provide a football kit donation point.
March 2010 – Sent first set of donated kits out to Kenya.
June 2010 – Created the Afrikit website.
November 2010 – Expanded our donation stations to include Decathlon Lakeside, Stockport, Giltbrook and Wednesbury.
February 2011 – Afrikit on SkySports News, BBC World Service and in the Sunday Mirror due to huge volume of Torres and Carroll kits received thanks to their transfers.
March 2011 – Our first independent trip to distribute kits – West Pokot, Kenya.
May 2011 – The Team and supporters ran the Sheffield Half Marathon raising over £2000.
June 2011 - Distributed over 5000 football kits and equipment to over 10 countries.
July 2011 – Redesigned and updated the Afrikit website.
November 2011 – Created the Kits4Causes project.
January 2012 – Worked with Salisbury City FC, Bath City FC, Yeovil Town FC and UEFA.
February 2012 - Expanded organisations supported to all across the UK
Our Publicity
Newspapers
The Sheffield Star - 10th Feb 2011
TV
Sky Sports News - 3rd Feb 2011
Radio
BBC World Service - Sportsworld - 5th Feb 2011
BBC Radio Sheffield - 8th Feb 2011
BBC Radio 4 - You and Yours - 11th Feb 2011
Websites
University of Sheffield - Student Charity gives Football Shirts a New Lease of Life in Africa
Pop Weasels Blog - How Afrikit could have saved me from this shame
Our Partners
Commercial Partners
Charity Partners
