Financial Director’s World Cup Charity Summer

Industrial Technology System’s Financial Director Simon Close teamed up with 150 volunteers this summer, to work on projects helping South African orphans as part of the 2010 World Cup Legacy Tour by Lionsraw.

The Teesside-based charity spent two weeks in Durban during the football tournament, working with local organisations to build four legacy projects in the notorious Valley of a Thousand Hills, world epicentre of HIV and AIDS, and delivered seven soccer schools to over a thousand local children.  In addition footballs and sports clothing was given away to the hundreds of young people they came into contact with.

The visit represented a major fundraising event for Lionsraw.  Every volunteer was required to achieve at least £1,750 in sponsorship, and Simon’s contribution was over £3,000, which will go towards supporting the charity’s work in South Africa as well as other ventures.

Although the volunteers returned this summer, a Lionsraw team remains in South Africa to complete the building projects that were started and to continue the very popular football coaching sessions.  They are in the process of gaining full charitable status in South Africa, whilst also making plans for the next World Cup in Brazil in 2014, to work with the street children.

Lionsraw founder Jon Burns, a former policeman, firmly believes social change can be brought about through the auspices of sport, and came up with the idea of the charity back in 2004.  Today his crusade through Lionsraw is to create a world community of football fans helping others less fortunate.