Kitted out

13 August 2007

This year’s St Christopher’s Cup competition promises to be bigger and brighter than ever, thanks in no small part to generous football kit donations.

Dozens of football shirts, shorts and socks arrived at head office this week courtesy of Oil Aid, while fresh kit arrived at the Lewisham supported housing office courtesy of the Metropolitan police.

Oil Aid, the organisation that runs an annual charity football tournament at Stamford Bridge, the home of Chelsea Football Club, wanted to donate the kits from this year’s tournament to a charity. Sunbeam Laundry, who washed the kits, suggested St Christopher’s.

Sunbeam delivered the freshly laundered kits to us this week, in time for kick-off at the annual St Christopher’s five-a-side tournament on Saturday 18 August.

Meanwhile, defending champions Lewisham will be defending their crowns in a brand-new football strip of their own.

They have developed a strong relationship with the local ‘Safer Neighbourhoods’ team, and in particular with the police community support officer.

Service users were asked to come up with some ideas that the police might fund, and they decided on football kits.  They put in a bid for £250 and were delighted to learn that their application was successful.  Not only that, they were actually awarded £400 to spend on football equipment.

As well as taking part in the St Christopher’s tournament this weekend, the Lewisham team plan to join a local league to play more regularly, including fixtures against the local police team.