Alive and Kicking

At A+K, we strive to create equal opportunities for everyone. This goal has connected us to amazing people and mothers like Mutinta, who provides for her family with the income she receives from Alive and Kicking. In addition to brothers and sisters, Mutinta recently gained a family member – a baby daughter. Mutinta faces the additional barrier of deafness that makes finding work even harder for her. We feel incredibly lucky to have Mutinta working at our centre in Zambia, where she has worked for over SEVEN years now! Despite any challenges that Mutinta has faced, she continuously radiates with joy and energy. From what she tells us, her daughter is quite the copycat and radiates this same happiness. Additionally, we want to highlight some of the amazing women who we are honoured to work with in celebration of Women’s History Month. We also want to acknowledge the inequalities that women face in sports. Our friend and former co-worker Sana Barclay has recently started the campaign VS. Bar to combat the inequalities that women athletes and fans face in sports. She held her first pop-up pub quiz event at the beginning of this month, and as the event’s charity partner, we had the opportunity to help out. As we knew it would, the night was a huge success, and we know Sana will continue to do amazing things as her campaign continues! In times like this, it is SO important to remain kind to each other. At A+K, we want to take a moment now to think of those who may struggle a bit more on mother’s day. Whatever your situation, we wish you a happy Mother’s Day here at A+K. The A+K Team

Well, it looks like we might be stuck inside for a while doesn’t it? Don’t worry, we’ve got something to occupy an afternoon whether you’re a parent, carer, designer or Mo Salah Now you can design and build your own football out of paper! Just click here to download the instructions, then post your completed football, tagging @ballsforafrica for a chance to win an A+K football!

Over the last five years it’s become a regular fixture in the Alive and Kicking calendar, but this year’s Westminster 24 Hour Football Marathon was like no other.  It was a record-breaker. On 6th March 2020 48 brave students from Westminster School took on a mighty challenge – to play football for 24 gruelling hours to raise funds for A+K. By the time they’d completed the challenge in the late hours of the 7th March, they’d raised an astonishing £31,745 (including Gift Aid). As far as our records show, this is the largest amount that has ever been raised for A+K from a single event!  Since the fundraising tournament was started by Welles Iselin in 2016, the annual 24 Hour Football Marathon has raised an astonishing £99,265 in support of our work. These are vital funds for a charity like ours that strives to deliver a big impact on a small budget. We’d like to thank Ross Plowman, Sachin Thuraisingham and Arun Ghai, the organisers of this year’s tournament, for all their hard work.  A big thank you to all of the Westminster students that took part, and especially to the top fundraiser, Nikdad, who was also last year’s top fundraiser! We hope your legs have recovered… Many thanks also go to Mr Kingcombe for lending his support to the organisers, as well as to all the staff and parents who gave up their evening, morning and afternoon to keep the players fed, rested and hydrated.  Think you’re up to a similar challenge? Click here to organise your own 24 Hour Football Marathon.

On October 15th, 2019 the Alive and Kicking Ghana board made the decision to cease operations at Alive and Kicking Ghana and pass management onto a local partner. Since 2013 the operation has worked hard to reach the point of self-sustainability, where ball sales are enough to finance the everyday running of the centre as well as contribute to the donation of sports balls and sports-based health education programmes. Despite the best efforts of the Alive and Kicking network and its supporters, the centre has not managed to breakeven on a regular basis and therefore is no longer fulfilling its mission. Over the past six years Alive and Kicking Ghana has created over 200 ethical jobs for adults facing economic and social disadvantage, given over 1,000,000 young people access to sport through ball donations and given over 20,000 children access to vital health education programmes. This impact is thanks to the fantastic Alive and Kicking Ghana employees and you, the Alive and Kicking supporter network. Moving forward, the health education programmes will continue to be delivered in country with a focus on malaria, HIV and mental health, thanks to the strong relationships the Ghana operation has built with local partners. In order to continue the positive impact, Alive and Kicking Ghana has negotiated a local management takeover. Although Alive and Kicking Ghana no longer operates, locally made sports balls will continue to be produced by Pleimeiker Sports, a Ghanaian-run sports equipment business that operates as a for-profit but will continue to employ people who face social and economic disadvantage while contributing a percentage of profit toward Ghanaian sport for good projects. As part of the takeover, the new owners must continue to offer the same employee benefits to Alive and Kicking Ghana employees, including safe working conditions, a fair wage and access to a pension scheme. As a result, the Alive and Kicking mission can continue to be fulfilled, only this time led by a local partner organisation. Thank you again to the Alive and Kicking Ghana team and our charity supporters who have helped make a significant social and economic impact over the past six years.

Get out of the office And raise funds for an Award-winning Charity When: 31st May 2019 | 13:00 – 18:30 Where: Shoreditch Powerleague £500 per team £900 if entering 1 x Men’s and 1 x Women’s Food and drink (soft and alcoholic) included in price DOWNLOAD AN ENTRY FORM Alive and Kicking is an African social enterprise that manufactures sports balls, creating sustainable employment in Nairobi, Lusaka and Accra, while enabling young people to exercise their right to play and raising health awareness through sport take a look at last year’s event👇 [ngg src=”galleries” display=”basic_thumbnail”]