Watch as Sunderland AFC donates football kit worth thousands of pounds to support street children in Kenya

Sunderland AFC have donated hundreds of items of football kit worth thousands of pounds to support impoverished children living on the streets of the town of Embu in Kenya.

The kit, which includes this most recent season’s home and away strips, training tops, footballs, rain jackets and sports bags, is going to be used as part of the Black Cats Sports Programme which was set up by the charity Moving Mountains.

The programme provides food, education and football coaching to some of Kenya’s most marginalised and vulnerable young people including street children, orphans, internally displaced people, and young people from urban slum communities.

The programme is funded by the travel company, Adventure Alternative, and was given the name the ‘Black Cats’ as one of the company’s directors is a “big Sunderland SAFC fan”.

Handing over the boxes of kit at the Academy of Light to be flown out to Kenya was SAFC’s head of education, Don Peattie.

Don said: “The strips and kit are from out junior teams as well as our ladies’ professional team, although some of the kit is brand new and hasn’t been used.

“There are hundreds of items here, which must be worth thousands of pounds.

“When I spoke to the club about the Black Cats Programme out in Kenya they were keen to get involved and only too happy to help.

“I’ve been out to parts of Kenya myself and the kids have so little and it feels great to know what a difference this will make to them.

“Football is a global language which can make a difference and is a great vehicle to help get some of these children off the streets.

“Hopefully seeing the club shirt being worn out in Kenya can also help to spread the club’s global brand.”

The kit is going to be delivered to the street children by ten sixth form students from Harton Academy, who are travelling to Embu in July as part of an expedition organised by Adventure Alternative.

As well as climbing Mt Kenya, the youngsters will be visiting the Black Cats Programme to deliver the kit as well as putting on coaching sessions for the children.

It’s the second year the school has visited the programme and on the previous expedition deputy head teacher Richard Burroughs saw first-hand the abject poverty afflicting the children in Embu.

He said: “These children are literally living on the streets and have nothing. It’s a desperate situation as many of their families simply can’t afford to feed them.

“They come to the Black Cats centre where they are given a meal and receive education lessons before they get to play football.

“When it comes to kit, they have nothing. No strips or boots and very few footballs.

“This kit will make a huge difference and I’m sure the children’s faces will light up when we hand it over.

“As well as providing football kit this donation also provides these children with some clothes to wear.”

Mr Burroughs decided to contact the Academy of Light after seeing the difference some of the school’s own donated football kit made when he first visited the programme in 2022.

He said: “We are one of the academy’s partner schools and I know Don through dealings we have had with some of our students who went on to play for the club.

“He was only too keen to help and I must give huge thanks to SAFC as this is going to make a massive difference to the children in Kenya.”

One of the students taking part in the expedition and delivering the kit is Noah Fairweather.

Noah, 18, said: “I was quite surprised when I saw all of the boxes, there’s just so much kit.

“I can’t wait to head out to Kenya and I’m going to be doing some football coaching drills with the kids.

“These children don’t have their own shoes and very little clothing and so this kit is going to make a vast difference.”

One of the Black Cats Sports Programme’s biggest success stories is Victor Wanyama who went on to play for Celtic, Southampton and Spurs.