The Macron NCEL would like to congratulate a charity that is celebrating completing twenty years of deliveries of football kit across the world.

The RAF Shawbury based Taking Football To Africa and Beyond Appeal (TFTAAB) started in May 2006, making its first delivery a month later.

The Appeal, founded by Wing Commander (Retired) Neil Hope MBE VR, was intended to run until the end of the Germany hosted 2006 World Cup, but became so successful that it continues to this day.

The Appeal, using the tag line Delivering Aid Through Football, was inspired by a drunken conversation in a bar with a Bolton season ticket holder and the suggestion "let's pool all our old football shirts and send them to Africa."

What started with collections from friends within the Royal Air Force quickly grew to include donations from across the UK; from grassroots village teams through the leagues structure to the Premier League and England/The Football Association (The FA).

To date, the Appeal has delivered an incredible 466,536 items, including 131,931 football shirts, to 72 countries, the most recent being Togo, which was added in May following a delivery of Arsenal shirts.

Initially, it was aimed at Africa, with the first delivery going to South Africa in June 2006, but quickly became global with the addition of Peru in July the same year.

Kit has been delivered to underprivileged children and adults in many countries suffering from conflict (Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine) and extreme poverty including 'slum areas' in major cities (Soweto in Johannesburg, South Africa; Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya - Africa's largest slum – over a million people in an area of approximately 3km sq. with no sewerage, running water or mains electricity).

The Appeal's main countries for deliveries are Kenya and Nepal, but kit has been delivered across the globe.

In Kenya, the team work with the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) and Braeburn Garden Estate School (Nairobi), and in Nepal they work with the Gurkha Welfare Trust in Pokhara.

The Appeal has some excellent links across football, from The FA, through major clubs (Aston Villa, Leicester City, Arsenal, Shrewsbury Town, Colchester United, QPR, Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers) to grassroots clubs through County Football Associations.

The Appeal is also closely linked to the Royal Air Force and Royal Air Force Football Association.

Each year, the Appeal organises a delivery trip to either Nepal or Kenya. Through three trips to Nepal and twenty to Kenya, over 180 people have delivered Aid Through Football to schools, rescue centres and football clubs in some of the poorest areas in the world.

The Appeal is completely self-funded, as are the trips, with all participants paying their own way.

Although founded by Neil, the Appeal has had the assistance of countless people through the years, be that in Shropshire, across the UK or overseas, without this support it simply would not exist.

Whilst the list is extensive, special mention should go to the following: RAF Shawbury and Supply Receipt and Dispatch, RAF Brize Norton Supply Receipt and Dispatch and Air Exports, Sergeant Sophie Townend, Sergeant Matt Mills, John Herbert, Tim Richards, Veronica Kingori, Tony and Irene Kinchley, Ben Meade, BATUK, Gary and Louise Simpson, Lee Wood, Alec Berry, Martino Chevannes, Tom Evans, Rob Owen, Will and Leah Moss-Jones, Dan Walker, Sophie Goodwin, Corporal Ben Bartlett and Sujan Bahattarai. Apologies if I have missed anyone.

The Appeal’s new lead (following Neil's work retirement) is the incredibly hard-working Squadron Leader Mark Smales.

Mark has been a fixture of TFTAAB for a huge part of its existence and is the right person to continue to take it forward (with Neil taking a more backroom place).

Mark’s family has been incredibly supportive of his commitment and regularly assist their sorting and boxing up sessions.

Neil said: "My family too have been incredible. Helen is a regular helper, as she has been for twenty years, and incredibly puts up with me and supports me.

"A special word for one helper who is no longer with us, my daughter, Charlotte.

"Lottie helped me with the Appeal from being from a small child, she visited Kenya several times and fell in love with the country.

"She loved children and always wanted to be a Primary School teacher and to work in Kenya.

"Aged just 16 she and her friend Amelia volunteered at the amazing Restart Centre in Gilgil, Kenya, an incredible place run by the incredible Mary Coulson MBE.

"Charlotte was at Edgehill University, studying to be a teacher, with the intent to work in Kenya.

"In her second year, aged just 19 she was cruelly taken from us by a drug driver.

"We miss her terribly, as does the whole TFTAAB community."

Neil added: "When I started this Appeal, I had no idea how long it would last and how successful it would be.

"We collect amazing donations and re-distribute them to people that would otherwise never afford them.

"Football is huge across the world and does amazing, good. We tap into that to deliver aid to those who need it.

"We are so grateful to everyone who has made it this huge success.

"The Appeal is special to me as it was to my daughter, Charlotte.

"Whilst it operates funds free, we set up Lottie’s Way – The Charlotte Hope Foundation, as a sister charity in January 2023.

"That charity raises funds which are provided to people for education and feeding programmes.

"The Appeal and Charity work to continue her legacy."

Mark commented: "I am genuinely honoured to be involved in the Appeal and even more so that Neil has entrusted me with something that is so special to him.

"To play a small part in bringing hope, joy and some smiles through a shared passion for the beautiful game is truly amazing and I cherish the memories and friendships I have made since I first became involved.

"In a world which seems to have more and more negativity I’d like to think that Neil, myself and all our helpers are doing what we can to show that there’s some good in the world."

The Appeal is always looking for donations of kit, balls, boots. Please get in touch if you can offer anything.

Click here for more information.