A north-east football club has handed over kits to a Christian youth team in an African community.
Deveronvale FC donated a supply of old football strips to the Global Leadership Academy, in Jeffrey’s Bay, in South Africa earlier this month and this week received news that they had successfully been handed over.
The Banffshire side, which competes in the Press and Journal Highland Football League, are famous for their all-red kit, which is now worn by a youth team in one of the country’s fastest growing towns.
A team of 17 people from Banff’s Riverside Christian Church – who embarked on a 10-day mission to the country – presented the school with the kits.
Rob McArthur, who led the ministry overseas along with his son, Nate, said he was confident the gear would be put to good news.
He added: “It was great to hear all of these men shout Deveronvale as we took the picture.”
Global Leadership Academy teaches some of the poorest children in the region and is part of a wider Christian community called the Global Challenge which has ties with the Riverside congregation.
The school – which is mixed race – has been hailed as promoting greater harmony and understanding between different racial groups.
Deveronvale FC’s chairman Jim Mair said the club was happy to help.
“It’s only a small thing we’ve done,” he said.
“But if it helps in any way we’re pleased about it. Our club chaplain comes from the Riverside Christian Church and this is just something we decided we would do to see if it helped in terms of forming links.”
Deveronvale open their Highland Football League campaign on Saturday, at home to Fort William FC.
