Click4Kit
Free kit for amateur clubs and teams!
An innovative new scheme aimed at providing kit worth up to £500 a time for amateur clubs and teams of all kinds has just been launched across the UK. Click4Kit will use almost all of the revenue from sponsorship and advertising on its website – where supporters can nominate their teams for the monthly draw – to pay for the kit.
Initially, it will be running a pilot scheme in Cardiff, dividing the Welsh capital into four areas and giving away at least one kit a month in each of them, with the remainder of the UK covered by a single monthly draw. However, as more sponsors are drawn to the site, revenue will allow the creation of many more areas across the British Isles, and enable the donation of more kits every month in each area.
Nominating a team is straightforward, and open to the members of any team, their relatives, friends or other supporters. Each month, names will be drawn at random, and that club or side will receive kit worth up to £500 a time. The number of times a club is nominated is not restricted, and past winners can enter, too.
The new pilot scheme in the capital now has the support of Cardiff Blues. John Yapp, a Welsh international and prop for the EDF Energy Cup winners, said: “Click4Kit is a fantastic scheme that will help out teams of all ages and all sports across the country.
“Amateur sport is essential for the benefit of local communities. From my days playing for amateur clubs earlier in my career and more recently when I’ve been back to local clubs to help coach and train young teams, the spirit, enthusiasm and enjoyment of the game from these players is always clear to see. What better way to support the local community where your business stands than to back a local team? Join Click4Kit and support a team near you.”
The scheme has already been run with a great deal of success in the Vale of Glamorgan by Barry–based kit supplier Cranleigh Ltd. In the first month, the event attracted 100 entries. However, a month later, that figure had quadrupled. It now attracts close to 1,000 nominations a month.
The scheme was first conceived around 15 years ago by Cranleigh managing director Peter Balchin, who has used his own money to launch the not–for–profit Click4Kit. He said: “I’ve always believed that businesses can put something back into the communities in which they are based, and Click4Kit is a very modern way of doing that.
“The teams benefit because they can get their kit for free, and I don’t know of a scheme like it here in the UK. Secondly, the businesses that sponsor teams and advertise on the site will become better known among their potential customer base, as we can place their names on the kits we give out.”
The Cranleigh forerunner scheme – which will continue until at least the end of 2009 – proved to be very popular in the Vale of Glamorgan. Mike Thomas, coach of the first winners, Dinas Powys Under 16 girls, said: “When we first became aware of the Cranleigh initiative, we were amazed at the generosity of the company.
“Trying to run a football team at grass roots level is always difficult but with girls it’s doubly so as not everyone takes girls football seriously. Therefore, trying to attract funds to buy a new kit is not easy. The kit we had been using was about five years old and had been passed on from a boys’ team, so it had seen better days.
“When our name was drawn out of the hat everyone associated with the team – the girls, parents and myself – were absolutely thrilled. The timing was perfect and has given the team a great boost. It was fantastic to see the excitement on the girls’ faces when they first got the chance to try it on. I would encourage any team to have a go as there’s nothing to lose – and you never know.”
Mr Balchin said: “There is no catch. There is no cost of any kind to nominate. In fact, we want more people to nominate, as the more visitors to the site we have, the more sponsorship we can generate, and the more kit we can make available to clubs and teams. It really is as simple as that.”
You can begin nominating your team by visiting www.click4kit.com or telephoning 0333 600 8000.
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