BOOTS FOR AFRICA APPEAL

St. Johnstone FC has teamed up with Legends, the Perth-based Promotional Products business to promote the Boots for Africa charity.

Boots for Africa is the registered charity of Sheffield FC, the world’s first football club.

In 2007, Sheffield FC celebrated their 150th anniversary and wanted to do something special to celebrate the anniversary.

Club chairman Richard Tims, and his wife Jenny, decided they would collect 2007 pairs of old football boots and deliver them to children and adults in Africa.

The initiative was an overwhelming success and it has grown and developed ever since. Today over 23,000 pairs of boots have been delivered to Africa allowing many in the poorest parts of the continent to experience playing the beautiful game wearing boots for the first time.

St Johnstone FC has agreed to act as a Collection Point and the trademark Boots for Africa collection bags will be situated adjacent to the all-weather pitch changing rooms.

Nick Oswald of Legends said: “There are so many worthwhile charities to support and this is most certainly one of them. I was attracted to Boots for Africa for a number of reasons.

It encourages active people in a developed country like the UK to help children and adults enjoy playing the world’s most popular sport by wearing proper footwear for the first time.

This in turn gives many the opportunity to improve their lives in a positive and constructive way playing sport, giving a new sense of hope, pride and ambition to themselves and the positive benefits that brings to their country.

There is a green message as well. Instead of chucking your old boots in the bin and rotting in a dump these boots are being recycled in the best and most constructive way possible.

It is a terrific charity and I am privileged to be associated with it.”

If you would like to donate an old pair of your boots please give them a good clean, tie the laces together and drop them into the Boots for Africa bag at the stadium’s all weather pitch changing rooms.

It does cost money to run the charity and there are a number of ways that you can help to ensure that Boots for Africa can continue to collect, pack, ship and distribute used boots.

• You can buy limited edition Boots for Africa boot bags for £2.00 each, available from St Johnstone

• You can hold your own Fundraising event to raise money and awareness for the Boots for Africa campaign. Please contact Nick Oswald on 07768 132283

You can send a cash donation to <a href=\"http://www.justgiving.com/BootsForAfrica\" target=\"_blank\">Boots For Africa