SOS Kit Aid smashes target in difficult year
Despite a difficult year for charities and lack of funding, rugby charity SOS Kit Aid managed, with only half the previous year’s finance, to smash their big World Rugby target of 40 kit deliveries for the 20th year running.
An amazing 45 big kit deliveries were made, of which 21 were in partnership with British Embassies and High Commissions using SOS rugby kit to build bridges with local schools, clubs and businesses so that everyone benefits.
SOS also completed a humanitarian delivery of track suits bottoms to Ukraine refugees, funded by World Rugby, who also funded an SOS humanitarian kit delivery to areas affected by volcanic eruption in Tonga.
Having previously focused on Eastern Europe the charity delivered to many new places in 2022, including: Palestine, Israel, Malawi, Chile, Rwanda, Jordan, Montenegro, Brazil, Mauritius, Guyana, Lesotho, Uruguay, Madagascar, Venezuela, San Salvador and inner cities in the USA.
SOS Kit Aid CEO John Broadfoot said: “Like many charities we were hit with a 10-15% increase in transport charges and kit packaging costs. For the first time ever, in order to keep kit flowing through our system, we have finished the year slightly in deficit – around £2,000. This was planned, knowing that in 2023 we are entering a new funding programme with World Rugby as part of a new World Rugby initiative to help grow the participation of rugby worldwide.
We continue to benefit from the support of wonderful sponsors - Greg Woods- Participation Programmes Manager at World Rugby, Jim Gibson MD of Big Yellow storage Marfleet, Andy Lane of Lanepearson Ltd, and Paul Beet of Astra Security. We have managed to plug two kit collection gaps in South Wales and on the South Coast and have welcomed on board Andy Vick and Chris Dean.
“Over £8 million pounds worth of quality used and new kit has been distributed to over a third of a million disadvantaged youngsters in 60 emerging rugby nations around the world, and over 1500 tonnes CO2 emissions saved in the last 20 years. Thank you to all our wonderful sponsors, supporters, celebrities and kit donors!“
If you are looking to benefit others by donating unwanted kit or would like to volunteer please visit www.soskitaid.com.
