diss rugby

Rugby fever has well and truly arrived at Jet’s A W & D Hammond Ltd station with the launch of Jet’s ‘Drop Kick Your Kit’ campaign. A W & D Hammond Ltd on Norwich Road in Halesworth is one of 56 Jet sites reaching out to their local communities to drive rugby kit donations in order to help disadvantaged children and young adults in Africa.

Jet, A W & D Hammond Ltd and their local rugby club Diss RFC are urging members of the local community to donate their unworn or unwanted rugby kit by bringing it into store. From Monday 12th September until Sunday 2nd October 2011, all clean rugby shirts, shorts, protective gear and boots can be donated as part of Jet’s ‘Drop Kick Your Kit’ campaign in partnership with LV=SOS Kit Aid, a charity that provides second-hand and new rugby kit to underprivileged children in the UK and overseas.

Hammonds have a long association with Diss RFC as a major sponsor and there will be a second kit collection point at Mackenders, the club’s ground in Roydon.

Customers should be quick off the mark as the first ten to drop off their kit in store will receive a free copy of the latest book from one of England’s greatest rugby heroes.

Louise Hammond commented: “LV=SOS Kit Aid is a fantastic charity and we’re delighted to be launching the ‘Drop Kick Your Kit’ campaign to support it. By simply donating their unwanted kit, our customers will have a direct impact on the lives of so many individuals.”

England flanker, James Haskell, also expressed his support for the campaign: “‘Drop Kick Your Kit’ is a great way to bring people together through rugby, raising awareness and really making a difference to those less fortunate than ourselves in Africa. Rugby is all about team spirit and Jet’s customers will be able to show their own team spirit by donating kit to the Jet sites.”

LV= SOS Kit Aid will pass the collected kit onto one of its partner projects, SKRUM, for distribution to children and young adults in Africa. SKRUM uses rugby to develop social skills necessary for healthy and responsible living. African children and young adults are encouraged to attend SKRUM rugby courses and, at the same time, have medical HIV/AIDS checks and receive preventative AIDS awareness programmes.

John Broadfoot, co-chairman of LV= SOS Kit Aid comments: “We are delighted to be working with Jet for the ‘Drop Kick Your Kit’ campaign. We hope that local residents, clubs and schools will all get involved so that we can help even more youngsters in Africa improve their health, their enjoyment and quality of life through participation in the SKRUM programme.”