NEWS
FIRST SOS KIT DELY TO BOSNIA LEAVES THIS WEEK !
Having overcome long term customs problems, SOS is delighted to announce that the first SOS kit delivery is on its way to Zenica in Bosnia. The Bosnian Rugby Federation lost over 200 rugby players in the last war and are now doing a marvellous job in trying to rebuild rugby in Bosnia. SOS is very happy to play a small part in that process.
KATE ORAM AND BATH RUGBY - FANTASTIC SUPPORTERS OF SOS !!
Pictured are the wonderful Kate Oram - Media and PR Manager of Bath Rugby handing over yet another kit donation to John Broadfoot - Chairman of SOS IRB Kit Aid. SOS receive help from all the Guinness Premier League rugby clubs but Bath's hilarious promos of SOS on their website have been stand out features this Summer for SOS. Big thank you to Kate and all her team at Bath Rugby - good luck for the next season. We hope to make our relationships with all Guinness Premier League Clubs much closer in the coming season !
RUGBY PROJECT WINS A BEYOND SPORT AWARD !
But unfortunately not SOS IRB Kit Aid who did well to make the final shortlist of three ! However SOS is very proud of Alberto Vollemar of Venezualan rugby who deservedly won the Beyond Sport - Social Inclusion Award. Alberto runs "Project Alcatraz" a truly inspirational project tackles street gangs in a very dangerous part of Venezuala and through rugby retrains, reeducates them away from a life of crime. In the area Alberto works the murder rate has dropped by 90% ! A wonderful example of rugby working in the most dangerous areas and really making a difference to youngsters thanks to the structure, friendship, discipline and healthy lifestyle that rugby can bring. SOS intends to help Alberto with rugby kit once local customs and excise have been sorted out. The victorious Alberto is pictured with SOS's Andy Thompson and John Broadfoot. Well done Alberto , well done rugby !
SOS KEEPING BUSY DURING THE SUMMER ! THANK YOU NEWBURY RFC !
SOS deliveries to Swaziland, Poland, Latvia and Hungary are on their way today Thursday 2nd July. Soon deliveries going to two new SOS countries - Kenya and Bosnia - watch this space. Next week SOS is up for the Beyond Sports Environmental Award - fingers crossed !
SOS continues to receive wonderful support from long term supporters like the wonderful Ally Pankhurst of Newbury RFC. Ally is pictured with members of the first team squad donating 10 boxes of kit(mostly new) to SOS recently. It is through community aware clubs like Newbury that SOS continues to flourish and expand. Big thanks to all our donators - sorry we cannot mention you all but your kindness is appreciated by all - not leat the lucky youngsters in emerging rugby nations who receive your generous kit donations.
BIG THANKS TO ALL AT ST IVES RFC FOR WONDERFUL KIT DONATION !
Massive thanks to the wonderful Jimmy Lugg(Club Sponsor) of St Ives RFC for organising the donation of over 100 quality rugby shirts to SOS. Jimmy read about SOS's involvement in the HSBC Lions Community Programme in South Africa and wanted to help SOS. Jimmy is pictured donating the kit with Kerry Quick and Rebecca Martindale of the wonderful St Ives Club
WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO RECYCLE UNWANTED RUGBY KIT !!!
When YOU donate rugby kit to SOS IRB Kit Aid - not only are you helping youngsters to play a great sport for the first time BUT YOU ARE HELPING TO PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT AT THE SAME TIME ! Every year in the UK over 1.5 million tonnes of textiles are thrown into scarce UK landfill sites - at current usage we have only 9 years of known UK landfill sites left. In addition textile production in the UK produces over 3 million tonnes of carbon !! PLUS the Govt target for recycling household waste is 40% by 2010 and with only one year to go we are only at 27% !!(Source DEFRA)
In just eight years SOS has collected/recycled nearly 50,000 tonnes of quality rugby kit - THINK of the carbon we have saved by new kit not having to be manufactured because our kit is being used in it's place ! SOS is A WIN/WIN/WIN/WIN/WIN/WIN situation:-
* SOS helps meet UK/EU Govt Recycling Targets
*SOS reduces pressure on scarce UK landfill sites
* SOS reduces carbon emissions because it replaces new kit
* SOS ensures kit is used to its maximum life
* SOS helps youngsters to play sport in poorer nations
* SOS brings youngsters together across political divides by bringing the kit donors in touch with the kit receptors.
PLUS the SOS model could be used in ALL other sports and in ALL other major, developed countries
GET ON THE CASE NOW AND GET YOUR SCHOOL/CLUB TO JOIN THE SOS GREEN SCHOOL RECYCLING SCHEME - CONTACT US VIA THIS WEBSITE !
SOS IRB KIT AID SHORTLISTED FOR PRESTIGIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD !
UK KIT SUPPLIERS CONTINUE WONDERFUL SUPPORT TO SOS !
SOS is very fortunate to receive so much support from so many wonderful UK kit manufacturers/suppliers. Pictured is Freddie Hawkins Chairman of Hawkinsports handing over another great kit donation(of brand new kit!) recently to SOS Chairman John Broadfoot. Increasingly SOS is able to send brand new kit kindly donated by UK kit manufacturers alongwith all the second hand, nearly new kit it sends to 14 countries across three continents.
SOS INVOLVEMENT IN HSBC LIONS COMMUNITY PROGRAMME !
SOS IRB Kit Aid has been proud to be part of a wonderful HSBC Lions Community programme in South African townships as part of the current Lions tour to South Africa.At the request of HSBC. See www.lions.hsbc.com for more details. SOS has picked up kit from schools in the UK and Ireland and delivered it to South Africa on HSBC's behalf. Below is a report of the kit being given out by Brian Habana and Jason Robinson at HSBC Rugby Festivals held in townships during the Lions tour to South Africa. A wonderful example of rugby uniting countries in a common cause - to improve the lives of less fortunate children by enabling them to play a healthy sport like rugby and be part of a team.
"Bryan Habana, named last night in the South Africa squad for the British & Irish Lions Tour, popped into catch up with Jason and help coach the children at the HSBC Rugby Festival at St John's College. Bryan and Jason have previously joined forces to launch HSBC's kit collection programme in association with SOS IRB Kit Aid back in November.
Speaking at the event Jason said, "I have been fortunate enough to be involved with the HSBC Rugby Festivals back in the UK & Ireland which has involved over 60,000 children in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The focus in the UK was on emerging rugby schools which is of particular interest to me given my background in rugby. Over here in South Africa, the HSBC office has been running a TAG rugby programme introducing rugby to townships across the Gauteng region. The children here today are new to rugby but are so enthusiastic its very encouraging and I am confident rugby will continue to be part of the children's lives."
Bryan said, ""It was really great to come and see so many enthusiastic children enjoying the sport that I love so much. I am very blessed to be able to do what I do and to see everyone enjoy themselves today is very special for me. I really hope that this TAG rugby programme will go on to produce one of our future Springboks or Blue Bulls. I would love to see someone from this programme go on to play rugby at the highest level.
I would like to thank HSBC for everything they are doing over here in South Africa over recent months. It is a fantastic programme that is introducing new children to the sport of rugby. Hopefully all the kids here today will go back home and spread the word that rugby is fun. Both Jason and I have told them the most important thing is to enjoy playing rugby.
Today has been brilliant and I am grateful to HSBC for involving me. Rugby is the best game in the world and the children here today are very lucky to be able to learn from Jason Robinson - one of the greatest players in the world.
I feel privileged to be here with Jason Robinson today. He was one of my idols who I looked up to when I was younger. His moral values on and off the field are very special. Not many achieve what he has achieved and I would like to thank Jason for being such a great role model back in the UK and around the world. It is a real pleasure for me to be part of this HSBC programme with him."
Jason and Bryan were coaching at the culmination of a three month HSBC programme involving 20 different township schools across Soweto, Alexandra and Mamelodi.
Giles Morgan, Group Head of Sponsorship for HSBC said, "Working with children in local communities is an extremely important element of HSBC's Lions sponsorship. It is fantastic that our Africa office has got so involved in the TAG Rugby programme, volunteering their time to coach the children - over 80% of whom had never played rugby before. I really hope that the children have enjoyed being coached by a former British & Irish Lion and continue to play rugby in the future."
Today's festival was the second of four festivals that HSBC is running across South Africa during the Lions Tour".
Two big kit delys aways this week + great time at Twickers !
W/c 25/5 sees two BIG SOS kit delys off to Lithuania and Bulgaria respectively. PLUS the SOS IRB Kit Aid rugby team had a great time at Twickers on Sunday when they played a charity Tag rugby match versus fellow rugby charity "Tag Rugby". SOS lost the game narrowily but a great day was had by all and SOS got much good exposure/profile from playing in front of a 40,000 + crowd and a good mention in the programme. The RFU are wonderful supporters of SOS - thanks to all for a great day !
