From a cupboard in Shetland to a pitch in Rwanda – hunt on for pre-loved football gear
The Shetland Bookshop is taking donations until 18 September
HAVE YOU got any pre-loved football gear lying around, which could go to a new, loving home in Africa?
The Shetland Bookshop is hosting a drop-off for football boots, kits, training kits or goalkeeper gloves that could go to be worn by youth football teams in Rwanda.
The idea is the brainchild of goalkeeper coach Calum Brodie, a popular and well-kent face in Shetland as the spearhead of the BGK Academy which visits the isles regularly.
Brodie will spend two weeks in Rwanda next month as part of a Scottish Football Association (SFA) charity contingent heading out to coach and improve a local academy.
And he is planning to take up to three suitcases of goods with him to give to young Rwandan children, who are in desperate need of football equipment.
In a further quirk to the tale, all the equipment donated to The Shetland Bookshop over the next seven days will be transport to the mainland by the Shetland Women’s football team.
The blues will take the package down to Brodie when they travel south for their Scottish Cup first round fixture next week.
Shetland Bookshop manager Natasha Watt is accepting donations on Brodie’s behalf until Friday 18 September, with folk asked to leave them in her name.
Brodie told Shetland News that the Rwanda adventure was “something I really wanted to do” and a “once in a lifetime” trip.
“I got asked to travel out with [charity] Scottish Football in Rwanda – a couple of times a year they take a delegation of kids and a few coaches to step up the development and improve the football academy,” he said.
“When the chance came up for me to go I thought it would be quite a good side quest to go on.”
Brodie is a goalkeeping coach primarily, and the lead from the BGK Academy which has visited Shetland for the past five years.
It has grown from a goalkeeping camp to a full week of training, games and fun, and its summer iteration – a World Cup camp – was its most popular yet, with 114 players taking part.
Brodie revealed he was asked to go to Rwanda this summer, but had turned down the chance because of the Shetland camp.
“We had already set up the World Cup camp, so I said no at the time,” he said this week.
“This time unfortunately it clashes with the Shetland camp again, so my first priority was to make sure it [the camp] could still run in October.
“That was the main thing that allowed me to go, knowing that the Shetland camp could still run, because a lot of the coaches have done it before.
“It’s the first time I’ve not been up myself so I’m just trying to make sure it runs smoothly.”
Brodie added he was “gutted” he would not be in Shetland for the camp next month, and said he had even tried to figure out if he could fly back in time for some of it.
The chance to go – along with 15 high school children and four other coaches – was “an opportunity I couldn’t really say no to”, Brodie said.
“I have always wanted to go out and help. It’s a part of the world where I know that football is huge.”
The group will tutor local coaches and youth teams, as well as physically helping to improve the academy’s facilities, during a fortnight stay.
“It’s about having the infrastructure in place to play competitive games after we leave,” Brodie added.
He is raising money for Scottish Football in Rwanda, which will also help provide new equipment for players in the country.
Brodie explained that £500 kits out one youth team for a year, while £20 gets a pack of bibs and £50 pays for a bag of footballs.
He will of course take all the gear which is collected in Shetland up till 18 September with him as well, and he explains that anything “deserving of a second life” can go.
“Goalie gloves are like gold dust out there apparently,” he said.
“We can take any old football equipment – boots, gloves, kits or training kit.
“It’s funny to think some things will be sitting in the closet of someone in Shetland one month and then will be worn on a pitch in Rwanda a month later.”
Shetland Bookstore manager Natasha Watt said people could come and drop off equipment at the town centre shop in her name until 18 September.
“It’s good to have somewhere people can drop off at the street,” she said.
“It’s a really good cause that he’s doing, and we’ll always want to support him.”
You can donate to Calum Brodie’s fundraiser here.
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