A man has set up a charity which aims to collect unwanted football boots from local football clubs and ship them to a city in Nigeria.
Ife Fagbulu, 35, the founder of Boots Bridge, said: “Where I come from people don’t have the proper equipment to play football.
“Here it’s a different story entirely, so I decided to bridge that gap and that’s how Boots Bridge came to life.”
So far they have collected 40 pairs of shoes, which is just 10 short of their first target, that will be sent to Ilesa.
Growing up in Nigeria, Mr Fagbulu said that his mum struggled to afford football boots and that most of the children his age played barefoot.
He said: “The quality is not up to par. It affected the way I viewed the sport, so I was losing interest because I didn’t have the proper equipment.”
Those that could afford football boots didn’t have them for long as the difference in quality between the UK and Nigeria was vast.
A fundraiser for the charity has been set up on gofundme where every £100 covers shipping costs for 50 pairs of boots, and every £1,000 will cover a full shipping container, giving boots to over 500 children.
Mr Fagbulu said that there is lots of talent in the village where he grew up in but, because of a lack of equipment, many dreams die.
He said: “There are a lot of factors, but at least the basic thing is for every kid to have proper equipment for them to be able to fulfil their dreams.”
Nigeria has a vibrant history of football, serving as the nation’s most popular sport with over 67% of the population following it.
There are other organisations similar to Boots Bridge, such as Boots for Africa, however Mr Fagbulu believes this is more personal to him.
He said: “When I say Nigeria, I’m starting from my hometown where I was born, because I lived the reality. That’s where I grew up. I know the kids. It’s closer to my heart.”
He hopes that, in doing this, more people will feel inspired and is urging anyone with boots they don’t use to donate them and get in touch with their Instagram.
You can donate to the gofundme here.