A man from a Fleet football club helped bring happiness to young football fans thousands of miles away.

Keith Botevyle handed out football shirts and shorts to children in the Gambia on behalf of the KidAid charity. Mr Botevyle, from Mytchett, who represents Fleet Town Colts, and four other KitAid volunteers spent a week at a remote school in Kerewan Village. “Thanks to kind donations we were able to take approximately five full football kits of over 100 shirts and shorts and 100 Premiership shirts,” he said. “We also took around 2,000 pencils and pens, 300 rubbers, 100 sharpeners and many other items — including bubbles which the children adored. “We also visited Serrekunda market where we bought some new school books for the children, actually published in the UK! “The books the school currently has are very, very old indeed.”

Mr Botevyle said most of the children only own one set of clothes. “Those who are fortunate enough to afford to go to school are lucky to have a school uniform as their only change of clothes,” he added. During his trip, Mr Botevyle refereed a football match between two village school teams in 80 degrees heat. “I was amazed at the skill of the lads — I even tried to bring a couple back for my teams.” he joked. “There were also a couple of donkeys on the pitch — actual donkeys!”

KitAid was set up in 1998 when Derrick Williams, a long-serving volunteer with the charity WaterAid, visited Tanzania and realised the universal appeal of football. Fleet Town’s involvement in KitAid came about almost by accident. In 2006, the club decided it would change all its kits so that every team representing Fleet — at whatever age group — would wear the same style strip. That meant a huge number of shirts, shorts and socks were no longer needed and Mr Botevyle was determined it would not go to waste. He said: “For the kids in these under-privileged areas the kit will be their most prized possession. “Children here in Britain have so many shirts that it doesn’t really make any difference to them. “They probably have five or six each but the kids these are sent to will worship the kit.” During his trip, Mr Botevyle handed out kit donated by Court Moor School in Fleet, Ash Manor School, Hale Primary School, Fleet Town Colts, Mytchett Falcons and Cove. Mr Botevyle, who is the south of England KidAid co-ordinator, is still on a high after his trip. “As my good friend Sarga said to us on our last night in Gambia, ‘thank you for bringing a lot of smiles to my village’. “Well believe me, five people left there with even bigger smiles.” Mr Botevyle is already collecting donations for more trips. “One kind lady has already dropped loads of pencils and rubbers round my house to be sent out, so anyone who is able to donate more then please get in touch.” If you would like to make a donation to KitAid, call Mr Botevyle on 01252 377365 or email kbotevyle@jasuk.com

To read a pre-trip press article, please click here

To read the article in full please click here

A man from a Fleet football club helped bring happiness to young football fans thousands of miles away.

Keith Botevyle handed out football shirts and shorts to children in the Gambia on behalf of the KidAid charity. Mr Botevyle, from Mytchett, who represents Fleet Town Colts, and four other KitAid volunteers spent a week at a remote school in Kerewan Village. “Thanks to kind donations we were able to take approximately five full football kits of over 100 shirts and shorts and 100 Premiership shirts,” he said. “We also took around 2,000 pencils and pens, 300 rubbers, 100 sharpeners and many other items — including bubbles which the children adored. “We also visited Serrekunda market where we bought some new school books for the children, actually published in the UK! “The books the school currently has are very, very old indeed.”

Mr Botevyle said most of the children only own one set of clothes. “Those who are fortunate enough to afford to go to school are lucky to have a school uniform as their only change of clothes,” he added. During his trip, Mr Botevyle refereed a football match between two village school teams in 80 degrees heat. “I was amazed at the skill of the lads — I even tried to bring a couple back for my teams.” he joked. “There were also a couple of donkeys on the pitch — actual donkeys!”

KitAid was set up in 1998 when Derrick Williams, a long-serving volunteer with the charity WaterAid, visited Tanzania and realised the universal appeal of football. Fleet Town’s involvement in KitAid came about almost by accident. In 2006, the club decided it would change all its kits so that every team representing Fleet — at whatever age group — would wear the same style strip. That meant a huge number of shirts, shorts and socks were no longer needed and Mr Botevyle was determined it would not go to waste. He said: “For the kids in these under-privileged areas the kit will be their most prized possession. “Children here in Britain have so many shirts that it doesn’t really make any difference to them. “They probably have five or six each but the kids these are sent to will worship the kit.” During his trip, Mr Botevyle handed out kit donated by Court Moor School in Fleet, Ash Manor School, Hale Primary School, Fleet Town Colts, Mytchett Falcons and Cove. Mr Botevyle, who is the south of England KidAid co-ordinator, is still on a high after his trip. “As my good friend Sarga said to us on our last night in Gambia, ‘thank you for bringing a lot of smiles to my village’. “Well believe me, five people left there with even bigger smiles.” Mr Botevyle is already collecting donations for more trips. “One kind lady has already dropped loads of pencils and rubbers round my house to be sent out, so anyone who is able to donate more then please get in touch.” If you would like to make a donation to KitAid, call Mr Botevyle on 01252 377365 or email kbotevyle@jasuk.com

To read a pre-trip press article, please click here

To read the article in full please click here