Perth colleagues are sending dozens of football boots to a Colombian children’s team after realising many were playing in bare feet.
The workers at engineering company Merlin ERD, are hoping to collect 28 pairs of boots to ensure each Real Cayumba player receives a pair.
The team is made up of boys and girls aged between seven and 12.
And the colleagues have already begun collecting and cleaning football boots with the aim of sending them across in the coming weeks, having already supplied kits earlier this year.
How did the collection come about?
The idea came after one Perth-based engineer, Santiago Lopez, encountered the team while on a work visit to Colombia.
The Merlin team are delighted to be able to help Real Cayumba enjoy the sport they are so passionate about.
Engineering director Neil Armstrong said: “It feels great to make such a difference for these children.
“They were delighted with the new kits they got in the summer and if they can all have proper football boots by Christmas, they will be so happy.
“We need to find about 30 pairs of boots of any size up to adult seven before the end of next week, then we’ll clean them up and ship them as soon as possible.”
He added: “Saints in the Community led by Danny Griffin have done a brilliant job so far helping to collect boots, but we need more, so if parents want an eco-friendly option for their children’s old boots we can help them as well.”
How can I get involved?
They are based in Puerto Wilches, a municipality in Santander in north east Colombia with a population of around 31,000 people.
There are a number of drop off points for anyone who wishes to donate football boots:
- Jeanfield Swifts, Perth,
- Saints in the Community, Perth,
- Merlin House, Perth,
- Morrison’s Academy, Crieff, and
- Strathearn Community Campus, Crieff.
Any spare football boots collected by Merlin will be donated to a UK charity.