Kits for Kenya: School and GAA club team up for good cause

A Dromore school and a Banbridge GAA club have teamed up to provide sports kits to children and young people living in an impoverished area of Kenya.
Clann na Banna CLG have donated jerseys and shorts to the 'Kenya 2018 Team' at Dromore High School to bring out to Kenya when they go in March. White Label Cleaners on the Castlewellan Road have offered to launder all the items free of charge. Loading up the washing machine are, from left, Roy Hodgen (White Label Cleaners), Pat Vaughan (Clann Ma Banna) and Sara Topley (Kenya 2018 Team). Pic by Edward Byrne Photography INBL1806-201EBClann na Banna CLG have donated jerseys and shorts to the 'Kenya 2018 Team' at Dromore High School to bring out to Kenya when they go in March. White Label Cleaners on the Castlewellan Road have offered to launder all the items free of charge. Loading up the washing machine are, from left, Roy Hodgen (White Label Cleaners), Pat Vaughan (Clann Ma Banna) and Sara Topley (Kenya 2018 Team). Pic by Edward Byrne Photography INBL1806-201EB
Clann na Banna CLG have donated jerseys and shorts to the 'Kenya 2018 Team' at Dromore High School to bring out to Kenya when they go in March. White Label Cleaners on the Castlewellan Road have offered to launder all the items free of charge. Loading up the washing machine are, from left, Roy Hodgen (White Label Cleaners), Pat Vaughan (Clann Ma Banna) and Sara Topley (Kenya 2018 Team). Pic by Edward Byrne Photography INBL1806-201EB

A group of 22 pupils and four staff from Dromore High School will jet off to Africa next month to carry out voluntary work in the city of Nakuru.

During their 11-night trip, members of the school’s Kenya 2018 Team will assist with the construction of a school hall and a classroom, as well as helping to teach lessons for local schoolchildren.

And thanks to the generosity of members of Clann na Banna, the group will have 100 sports kits to hand over to local youngsters.

One of the team members, Sara Topley, was delighted to receive the donated kits from Clann na Banna youth development officer Pat Vaughan.

“We heard about the trip Sara and her fellow pupils are planning through a mutual contact,” Pat explained. “We were delighted to donate club jerseys and shorts to the Dromore High School team as they head off to Kenya in March.

“As well as other items, Sara and her fellow team members will be presenting the much-needed kits, donated by the club and its members, to local children and youth organisations who they will be working with.

“Roy Hodgen from White Label Cleaners kindly offered to wash and freshen up the jerseys before Sara and the team take them to Kenya.”

Thanking Clann na Banna and White Label Cleaners for their generosity, Gillian McMurran, Dromore High’s Kenya 2018 trip team leader, said: “Dromore High Kenya 2018 Team would like to sincerely thank the Clann na Banna GAA club for kindly donating 100 kits for us to take to Kenya. We would also like to thank White Label Cleaners in Banbridge for cleaning the kits for free. We also have Hillsborough Boys Football Club collecting football boots for us to take with us, so anyone who has outgrown or finished with their football boots they can be left at the school before March. Thank you to team member Sara Topley and her family for organising this.”

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