Worthing youth football coach delivers kit and trophies donated by Pinnacle UK to children in Africa

Ian, who is chairman of Worthing Strikers and a coach at Worthing United and Worthing Dynamos, linked up with Jamie Smith, owner of the Worthing-based business, through football. This latest donation for young people in Liberia is the third set of kit given by Pinnacle and this time, a batch of trophies has been added, too.

Ian is due to deliver the gifts next week and he said these will be the first trophies the children have seen. It will mean they can hold a tournament with prizes. Ian said: "I have a real passion for grassroots football and so has Jamie. His generosity has been exceptional."

As president of Tilgent Africa and Ducor Commodities, Ian takes donations over when he is on work trips. He will present the kit and trophies to Ducor Commodities director Christopher Bailey to hand out to children in the community.

The first batch from Pinnacle was taken over in February 2022 and the children loved their new kit. Ian said: "When I go out, I don't give them money. I like to get involved with the youth development football, the local village children and the orphanage. That way I can personally deliver it and I know they receive it. It is just about putting smiles on their faces. Seeing the joy made my day. Everything about them, because of their culture, is tribal. They have a collective attitude, which is nice, and the children will look after each other. With the new kit, they naturally separated into teams and they loved it."

Ian explained the African nation had experienced two civil wars in recent history, followed by the Ebola outbreak and then Covid. The donations he takes to Liberia are distributed through churches to orphans and other children in the community.

Ian said: "After receiving photographs of the children wearing the kit Pinnacle donated last year, Jamie called me with what’s now becoming a regular opening line, 'we have more kit for the children in Liberia'. We share a passion in grassroots football."

The previous donation, in September last year, saw more than 100 football kits presented to children at CELDI-Liberia (The Centre of Education and Leadership Development Initiative), a charity working with abandoned and self-bought-up children to keep them in school and teach them life leadership skills.

Ian has also taken over a full, unused, vintage Brighton and Hove Albion FC kit that was acquired by Worthing Dynamos head coach Alan Atkinson through his work with Albion in the Community for the children in Liberia in 2020. The printing of the kit had been donated by Pinnacle UK.

Ian presented the youth kit to a club chosen by the president of Liberia, George Weah – another passionate supporter of grassroots football, being a former professional footballer with Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan.

Ian said: "When the football community comes together to allow others to play to a higher standard, even through a simply providing a kit, it enables so many more to enjoy the game we all love."