Over the past three years Mark Pawsey MP has been collecting football shirts for Project Umubano, a Conservative Party social action project, in the African country of Rwanda which was launched. In July 2010 the people of Rugby demonstrated their incredible kindness by donating over 150 shirts.
Today Mark has renewed his calls for donations and is hoping, perhaps, that with players constantly moving between clubs and with club’s regularly releasing new shirts that, once again, the people of Rugby will be generous with their old, or unwanted, shirts and donate them to the project.
Mark said:
“I have visited Rwanda on two occasions over the past few years and have seen first-hand the great work being done through Project Umubano. My hope is that there will be many people in Rugby who have old football shirts that they no longer need and are willing to let go of. Perhaps there are a few Liverpool fans out there with unwanted ‘Torres’ shirts or maybe a few ‘Morrison’ Coventry City shirts that are no longer treasured?!”
Mark added:
“For those fans who have fallen out of love with former idols who have moved on to other clubs or who have out of date shirts which no longer mean a great deal to them I would ask them to, please, donate them to the children of Rwanda where they will find a good home. Every shirt which is donated will be greatly appreciated and you never know perhaps if we get enough local team shirts sent over we might be providing the foundation for some increased international support for one of our great local teams!”
Mark concluded:
“You really do have to see it to believe how incredibly football-mad the people of Rwanda are. They’re passion for the game is so similar to our own and all they lack is the basic equipment and kit which I hope the people of Rugby will be kind enough to donate to them.”
Mark will be contacting all local schools to promote the project and for people who have unwanted shirts which they wish to donate please contact Mark’s office on 01788 579499 or via email at mark.pawsey.mp@parliament.uk.