SOS 2009 PERFORMANCE REVIEW
SOS 2009 PERFORMANCE REVIEW
SOS IRB KIT AID INCREASE KIT DELIVERIES BY OVER 18% DESPITE WORLD WIDE RECESSION !
By the end of our ninth year of operation SOS IRB Kit Aid will have delivered nearly £2 million pounds worth of quality, re-cycled,rugby kit to some 16 emerging nations. Nearly 60,000 kgs of good quality rugby kit would now be lying wasted and rotting in environmentally damaging/scarce landfill sites were it not for SOS and the IRB diverting this kit to delighted emerging rugby federations across the world. We now have two bright red “SOS Boot Barrels” permanently in the main RFU reception area, highlighting their green credentials and re-cycling is becoming a key issue wiith UK/Irish companies and will be another key issue we will be pushing as part of our SOS IRB Kit Aid 2010 strategy.
It was SOS’s ability to attract extra funding from companies like HSBC for the 2009 Lions Community Programme that made the difference and bodes well for the future. Demand for our services increased with a waiting list of 56 emerging rugby countries across the world wanting kit from us in addition to the 16 already supplied. Highlights of the year were being shortlisted for the prestigious “Beyond Sport” Environmental Award and being asked by the IRB to send a massive kit delivery to Tsunami beleaguered Samoa in late 2009/early 2010.
2009 Actual Kit DeliveriesBosnia – 2.5(inc test dely) Moldova - 1Bulgaria – 2 Poland – 3Croatia – 2 Serbia - 2Hungary – 3 South Africa – 5Kenya – 2.5(inc test dely) Swaziland – 3 Latvia – 2 Ukraine – 1
Lithuania – 3 Total – 32
We made great strides in broadening our storage/distribution base,moving from one base in London to four in S. Wales, Blackpool, Northants & London, with direct deliveries made from all except Northants(this will happen in 2010). Our constantly updated website is achieving over 500 hundred site visits (many more page visits) per day from rugby people right across the world. Very successful public relations/kit collection days were held at many Premiership Rugby Clubs inc Bath, Worcester, Lon Irish and Gloucester. We receive much new kit from most of the leading UK Kit distributors like Halbro (Raging Bull), Ram Rugby, PSM Sportswear, Kukri and Optimum and massive kit donations from other rugby bodies like the RFU, WRU, and Gillivers. Plus new celebrities were recruited like Willie John McBride and John Taylor- welcome on board !
The outstanding 2009 SOS results achieved reflect great credit in particular on Andy Thompson (Deputy SOS Chairman and North West Director), Richard Westaway (Southern Director), Ken Thomas(Welsh Director), Dougie Sloan (Scottish Director), impressive newcomer John Marshall (East Midlands Director), other SOS Regional Directors and the 100+ people working for SOS. Big thanks also to our most valued Lions celebrity Ambassadors Graham Price, Ian Mclauchlan and Gareth Chilcott for their advice, support and hard work . To the IRB for having the foresight to sponsor SOS, to David Carrigy and Jaime McKeown of the IRB for their support and guidance and all our supporting schools/ clubs/kit manufacturers and major sponsoring Companies :- *The International Rugby Board *South African Airways *DHL Global Forwarding * HSBC * Mainland Logistics *Spindogs Media *Walkerpack * Gullivers Travel *Halbro(Raging Bull) *Kukri *Ram Rugby *Optimum *RFU *WRU * IRFU * SRU *Premier Rugby * Millenium Concert Travel *Referee Societies and many
others
With rugby now being admitted into the Olympics demand for our services will undoubtedly increase in 2010 - so if you would like to donate kit to SOS or you are a Company that would like to sponsor us - then please contact us via our website - www.sosirbkitaid.org. Thank you for all your support in 2009 "
