Young footballers raising the awareness of Diabetes
A team of 7 year olds have joined forces with Diabetes UK, the largest organisation in the UK working with people with Diabetes to bring awareness by having the Diabetes UK logo printed on their new football kit.
The team of Letchworth Garden City Eagles Under 8's Orange and Blacks were formed in the summer of 2008. They are currently playing in the Royston Crow Football League and despite playing against teams that have been formed for a year longer they are performing admirably.
The team started with just 8 players and now they have the full quota of 18 enabling 2 teams to play each Saturday. They train once a week in the evenings and have acquired sponsorship for new football kit, training jackets, match balls and drinking flasks. The sponsors are KLM Trophy Centre, Eltron Europe Limited and Astrium Limited.
Having gained sponsorship it was discovered that the manager, Graham Hartley and one of the players, Andrew Ginn were connected by the strange coincidence that they were both Type 1 Diabetics. This meaning they were Insulin dependent via 4 injections per day. Having discovered this it was then thought what better way to bring the awareness of Diabetes than having the Diabetes UK logo printed onto the shirts and training jackets.
Having sought permission from Diabetes UK to allow this the kit was duly ordered and is proudly worn by the members of the team.
Letchworth Garden City Eagles as a club have been fully supportive and encouraging everything the team are trying to achieve and will be displaying posters from Diabetes UK in the clubhouse and it is hoped the team will, in the future, be able raise funds by means of collections or bag packing at the local supermarket.