Southampton Schools Benefit From LV= SOS Kit Aid Day

Schools from the Southampton area who have limited or no access to sports equipment are set to receive cricket and rugby kit donated to LV= SOS Kit Aid at The Rose Bowl on the 14th September. The day represents the next step in the award-winning scheme’s ambitious pledge to recycle an incredible 20,000kgs of sporting equipment by the end of the year.

LV= SOS Kit Aid, in partnership with The Lord’s Taverners, provides disadvantaged youngsters in the UK and overseas with recycled cricket and rugby kit. Kit collected at The Rose Bowl will be used to directly benefit disadvantaged young people in the area

The action-packed day will kick off with Hampshire Cricket and Warwickshire CCC players donating some of their own kit to LV= SOS Kit Aid before the third day of their LV= County Championship match gets under way. To encourage as many people as possible to donate kit, Hampshire Cricket is offering free entry for anyone donating a piece of kit, plus  there will be free cricket and rugby coaching sessions on the outfield for kids from a local school, hosted by The Lord’s Taverners.

Encouraging people to support the day, Winchester-born Hampshire and England Lions player, Jimmy Adams, said, “Access to sport is vital for kids everywhere, be it here in Southampton or on the other side of the world. Too many young people around the world don’t enjoy the benefits of sport due to a lack of resources, particularly kit, which makes LV= SOS Kit Aid so important. It couldn’t be simpler – just give your unwanted kit to LV= SOS Kit Aid rather than taking it to the local rubbish tip and someone, somewhere will be able to play cricket or rugby for the first time.”

David Smith, LV= HR and communications director, said: “Playing sport helps children learn vital life skills and yet many children are unable to participate in sports such as cricket and rugby as they do not have the right kit for it. By redistributing unwanted sports kit among children from disadvantaged communities we can help them access a wider range of sports that they might not have otherwise tried.”

The campaign has the backing of celebrity ambassadors including former England cricket captains Mike Gatting and Allan Lamb, England rugby star James Haskell and England and Bath rugby heroes Gareth Chilcott and Matt Perry.