Shirt donation for Lesotho schools

On 1 October 2018 we were at Billericay Rugby Club with Richard ‘Juggler’ Austin of the wonderful Atlas Foundation to receive a donation of 121 junior rugby shirts. These shirts were presented by Club President Joe Clarke and will soon be on their way to Lesotho and distributed by the Federation of Lesotho Rugby to kids learning the sport through the Lesotho Rugby Academy. These shirts will be very gratefully received is the Mountain Kingdom, where many kids currently have to play in their school uniforms.

Joe Clarke said: “Rugby is truly an inspiring sport that brings people and communities together. This season is our 60th anniversary and we are very lucky to have such a wonderful club and an incredible membership that provides us all with a safe environment to enjoy rugby. So as much as we move forward with our club plans for improvement and continued sustainability we should take time out to reflect, not only on the impact we have on our local community, but on how we can impact those who are less fortunate within the wider rugby family. For Billericay RFC to be associated with the All Schools Programme, The Federation of Lesotho Rugby and the work of The Atlas Foundation is tremendous honour and I hope that we can continue to make an impact on our wider rugby family.”

Dan Aylward-Mills said: “This generous donation will make a huge difference for the kids in Lesotho as they learn the game. It reinforces the spirit of community and support in the rugby family, and we’re incredibly grateful to Billericay and Atlas for their help today. Kids will be wearing these shirts for many years.”

The Federation of Lesotho Rugby tweeted their thanks: “We are so thankful having some people changing our kids lives.”