BOOTS FOR AFRICA EXTENDS COLLECTION POINTS IN THE NETHERLANDS

13 August 2010

Chairman of Sheffield FC Richard Tims and Boots For Africa Project Manager Jenny Tims travelled to The Netherlands last weekend to help launch a boot collection point at FC Zwolle.

Richard and Jenny were invited by ‘The Dutch Reds’ Chairman Colin Latham and his girlfiend Geke to attend FC Zwolle open day where they helped explain to the Dutch fans about Boots For Africa, and how important it is to collect as many boots as possible to help children and adults in impoverished areas in Africa play the beautiful game with the correct footwear.

 
Richard and Jenny met with one of the Directors of FC Zwolle, Rien Kooijman, who gave a tour of the stadium, and helped to launch the collection point. Boots For Africa also had a stall at the open day which attracted many visitors, all interested to learn more about the charity and donate their old boots. Jenny Tims enthused “We have been made very welcome here at FC Zwolle and I am delighted to have had such a positive response from the fans. By the end of the day almost three sackfuls were collected; a great contribution to the campaign in Holland.”

Richard and Jenny not only attended the open day at FC Zwolle but also visited the clubhouse of SVI, which has been collecting old football boots for Boots For Africa since early 2010. President of SVI, Erik Fidder, welcomed Richard and Jenny and gave a tour of the clubhouse and grounds. Richard Tims stated “The facilities for the community at SVI are fantastic and we are very pleased to have the support of SVI and FC Zwolle for Boots For Africa; we are very grateful to Colin and Geke for all their efforts in making this possible”.

Pictured Richard Tims, Rein Kooijman and Jenny Tims at FC Zwolle.

Colin Latham, originally from Liverpool, has been living in Zwolle for several years. As a passionate supporter of Liverpool FC, he founded ‘The Dutch Reds’, a Liverpool supporters club based in the Netherlands that supports charities, including Boots For Africa. "In Africa children are playing football in their bare feet, while children in the Netherlands buy new football boots every year; that seems quite unfair" said Colin. "With ‘The Dutch Reds’ we wanted to do something to help and the link to my own football SVI was quickly made early this year.  We then approached FC Zwolle and explaind the concept to Britt Jurgens who was responsabile for setting up good causes at the club and they immediately agreed to help also".

Colin Latham added:  “The ultimate goal for The Dutch Reds is to get more collection points in and around Zwolle, we hope that SVI and FC Zwolle will be the first of many. The visit of Richard and Jenny Tims to Zwolle is a tremendous impetus for this initiative to be a great success. I hope the members of SVI and FC Zwolle, and of course all their opponents will contribute boots to the scheme. The drop-off points in the clubhouse of SVI and at the FC Zwolle ground will help people give their old football boots a new lease of life!”

Zwolle based Hotel Fidder very kindly donated accommodation to Boots For Africa during their stay.  “We’d like to thank Patrick Fidder and Erik Fidder for their generosity, the hotel was beautiful and we were made most welcome.” Jenny and Richard Tims.

MultiMedia Centrum Zwolle, a media-production company from Zwolle, sponsored Boots For Africa by making a complete coverage of the whole weekend. The visits of both grounds and an interview at the Fidder hotel. This video of the interview will be available to view in a couple of weeks on the website’s mentioned underneath:

www.sheffieldfc.com
www.mmc-zwolle.nl
www.dutchreds.com
www.hotelfidder.nl