Out of Africa Campaign to raise funds for football charities in Africa

PRESS RELEASE

The Out of Africa Campaign is proud to launch the Afri Can project to celebrate the African countries competing in the Brazil 2014 World Cup.

Afri Can believes that an African team can win the Brazil 2014 World Cup, and is going to be Africa’s biggest fan this year by facilitating combined and unrivalled support for; Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Algeria, and Côte d’Ivoire.

Whilst on the journey, the campaign will be raising money for football charities, as well as the Out of Africa Campaign.

Afri Can has formed partnerships with the following Sports for Development charities.

• United Action for Children – Cameroon
• Tackle Africa – Ghana
• Shoot 4 Boot 4 Africa
• John Utaka Foundation – Nigeria
• SOS Children’s Villages – Algeria 

The project will provide valuable funds to each charity so that they may create a local legacy from the African nation’s endeavors in the Brazil 2014 World Cup. The funds will support the purchase of new equipment and the development of local coaches to provide a foundation for a locally sustainable and long-term football project.

The campaign will create a number of initiatives that will raise funds and the aspirations of Africans all over the world, including the release of an Afro beats, African World Cup anthem by Replay and produced by renowned music producer Sammie Blacc, with influences and artiste from the five qualifying countries.

The Afri Can World Cup song, “Afri Can” will be available to download from iTunes, and the profit from the money raised will be split between the identified charities, and the Out of Africa Campaign Project.

There will also be an opportunity to buy specially designed t-shirts by Peter Scarks Design, to show your support for the competing Africa teams.

On launching the project Director of Centre Spot CIC Manny Abbeyquaye said;

“We are really excited about the Afri Can campaign, and we hope to use the excitement of the World Cup and the popularity of Football in general to unite charities and good causes from the UK and Africa” he added,

“The project also has a number of innovative engagement methods, including competitions that will help fans share their enthusiasm for the competing Afri Can nations and we hope football fans from all over the world will help us raise some much needed funds for the selected charities”

Project Coordinator, Orock Thomas from United Action for Children in Cameroon said

“We aredelighted to have entered into a partnership with this exciting project. Cameroon now has another opportunity to showcase itself through the number one sports in Brazil 2014”

Tom Colborne, Head of Business Development at Tackle Africa said:

“We’re really excited about seeing the African nations compete again in the World Cup, and to be named as a charity benefitting from the Afri Can Project.   Money raised by the project will help us train African coaches to deliver life-saving HIV education through football coaching sessions in their communities”.

To find out more information about the Afri Can Project please visit the project page on our website www.outofafricacampaign.com/afri-can/ you can also follow us on twitter @ooacampaign

You can download Afri Can – Africa’s Anthem for the 2014 World Cup on iTunes

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/afri-can-feat.-zed-ay-kay/id878197062 

For further information and notes to Editors:

Centre Spot CIC: Emmanuel Abbeyquaye, 07901 730 844, email info@centrespot.org

Centre Spot CIC

Centre Spot CIC is a creative social enterprise that uses Sports and Physical Activity to engage and build capacities of people, particularly young people. Centre Spot seeks to encourage the uptake of physical activity, and improve the physical wellbeing of communities. We also marry sports and physical activity with regeneration projects to re-ignite a passion for learning and skilling on qualifications, work experience, volunteering and the soft skills of self-esteem and self-confidence.

Underlying all work carried out by Centre Spot is a commitment to engage with different people across all levels, using sports as a tool to improve community’s performance, and address issues of social exclusion. Website: www.centrespot.org 

AfriCan 

The AfriCan Project has the following aims:

• Raise funds for five football charities
• Raise funds for Out of Africa Campaign Project
• Contribute to the development of football in five African Countries

• Unite Africans in the support for African football
• Recognise and celebrate the contribution of African players to World football
• Raise the aspiration of young people from African Heritage 

Sponsorship 

The Afri Can project has a number of opportunities for sponsors to engage with the project, the Brazil 2014 World Cup and our large and collective fan base. For sponsorship enquiries please contact. Emmanuel Abbeyquaye, 07901 730 844, email many@centrespot.org 

Out of Africa Campaign

Launched in 2011 after young volunteers from Birmingham and Sandwell received nearly £50,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to research the impact of African players in British football since the 19^th century.

Led by Centre Spot, an organisation that uses sport and physical activity to engage with young people from deprived backgrounds, the project will focuses on how football has raised the aspirations of young people and helped to tackle racism within the game.

The campaign shares this heritage with the wider community, promoting inter-cultural dialogue and engages young people in the cultural heritage of the players and their cultural origins.

The campaign has full support from Oral historians, the Professional Football Association (PFA) and Lets Kick Racism Out of Football.

*Kick It Out is football’s equality and inclusion campaign.

The brand name of the campaign – Let’s Kick Racism Out of Football – was established in 1993 and Kick It Out established as a body in 1997.

Kick It Out works throughout the football, educational and community sectors to challenge discrimination and encourage inclusive practices and work for positive change. The campaign is supported and funded by the game’s governing bodies, including founding body the Professional Footballers Association (PFA), the Premier League and The Football Association 2004 marked ten years of campaigning.

Source: Out of Africa Campaign