Marine FC lead way in the Boots for Africa appeal

May 28 2009 by Our Correspondent, Crosby Herald

Marine FC lead way in the Boots for Africa appeal

MARINE FC have been handed a pre-season cash boost after a major charity drive.

The Mariners collected the most pairs of boots for the UniBond League’s ‘Boots for Africa Appeal’.

The Arriva Stadium outfit bagged £1,250 from league sponsors Henkel Limited having totalled 505 pairs of boots which will now be sent to poverty stricken children in South Africa, Ghana and Zambia.

The appeal was initiated by fellow UniBond side Sheffield FC, the oldest football club in existence, and with Marine’s pledge spearheaded by community development officer Barry Lenton, the Mariners lead the way.

Barry Lenton said: “The help of our many friends in the community especially the participation of the schools, Liverpool FC, BBC Radio Merseyside, Dune fm and the Crosby Herald has made this campaign a real success and I am thrilled that we collected over 500 pairs of football boots for the children of Africa. This has been a great success for Marine whose established community and media links have provided the team work for a very worthwhile cause.”

Marine chairman Paul Leary said: “This has been a massive effort by all involved with Marine. The appeal struck the imagination of many people who agreed to set up collecting centres.

“A business in south Liverpool, the reception of Radio Merseyside, the numerous schools in Crosby, a café in Southport, Liverpool Taxi Club, and even a group of churches in the Lake District all helped by acting as collecting centres.

“Liverpool Football Club also helped by producing a full-page article about the appeal in their Fulham match day programme.

“I am especially grateful to Barry Lenton our community officer who has spent so much of his time in making the appeal such a success and of course to the many people who helped him and Marine Football club provide the most pairs of boots for this fantastic cause.”

As an incentive to children in this area to hand over their unwanted boots, any donation meant an automatic entry into a draw to win a signed Liverpool FC match ball.

Although the appeal was created in 2007, the involvement of the 63 UniBond clubs began in August and the in the run up to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the aim is to have collected 50,000 pairs of boots.