Cumberland FA has donated football kit to a project helping war-torn Ukraine cope with limited sporting activities.
A request had been made by grassroots football director John Rogerson, to help Steve Hodgson, a Cumbrian native now living in Ukraine.
Steve works on humanitarian projects supported by Cumbria Aid Ukraine in Penrith and his own charity, CARNA, based in Odesa.
The donation has made a huge impact on a group of orphans from eastern Ukraine, who have all been taken in by the Feorenko family.
This family lost their own son, who served in the military, yet opened their home to children aged from 18 months to 17, all displaced by the war and without family to care for them.
Steve said that the children were delighted to receive the football kit and equipment.
One young boy, a passionate football fan, has been unable to watch matches or join any clubs due to the ongoing conflict.
Instead, he has taken it upon himself to teach the other children the game, organising and playing matches among themselves, a true testament to the power of football in bringing joy and unity during difficult times.
Steve is keen to expand this initiative and involve more children and schools in the Odesa/Kherson region.
If any Cumbrian club or team has any old football kit or equipment to donate, they can call 07850 718699 and donations can be sent on the charity’s trips to Ukraine.
