Sports Initiative Success To Kit Out Local Kids

The project is helping families who cannot afford club membership for their children

More than 30 Chiswick children will start their year of free sports training this month as a result of a new local initiative, Kit2Kids.

The project, which was created by Andrew Lonsdale last October has raised £8,500 worth of training places for children who otherwise would not have been able to afford to join local clubs. 

Students from Strand on the Green Infants and Juniors, Cavendish, Oaklands and Chiswick Schools are being identified and offered the chance to take part.

"It is a great result. To think that so many children will have an opportunity to play sport and benefit from all that sport has to offer this year, makes all the fundraising efforts worthwhile," Andrew said.

photo- Mark Fuller

Kit2Kids raised a large proportion of its funds through generous local philanthropists and a charity partnership with Brentford FCCST  through a family match day at Brentford FC before Christmas. 

"It was a fantastic family day. Many new families visited Griffin Park for the first time and enjoyed superb football whilst raising money for Kit2Kids". 

"It was so successful that Brentford FCCST and Brentford FC have agreed to hold another Kit2Kids fundraising day for their March 8 match against Bradford," Andrew added. 

Kit2Kids acknowledges that much of the success of the project is down to the local sports clubs who have also donated free training spaces, they include Ilyeo Taekwondo, Chiswick Rugby Club, Animal Fu, Sports Linx Football Academy, Feltham Bees, Brentford FC Academy, London Welsh Rugby, Westside Basketball and  Old Actonians Ladies and Girls FC.

Nandos in Chiswick are supporting Kit2Kids. Andrew is seeking more local  businesses to join the project. 

Kit2Kids is asking for donations of second-hand kit & equipment (in good condition) to sell. Kit2Kids is still searching for a vacant Chiswick High Road premises to donate some space on a pop-up basis.

For more information contact kit2kidschiswick@gmail.com. The project was inspired by this summer's Super Saturday of Sport, when 500 children were given free coaching in 15 sports on Turnham Green. 

Super Saturday was organised by Kirsten Lonsdale, but her husband, Andrew (pictured above) saw that there were a large number of children who wanted to join a club but were stopped because of financial constraints on their families. 

January 16, 2014