Cost of living: Couple to give 2,000 football shirts to children for Christmas
- Published
Paul Watson packing shirts with his children before they are distributed as Christmas presents
A couple are hoping to give away 2,000 football shirts to children who otherwise might not receive a Christmas present this year.
Paul and Lizzie Watson, from Stroud, Gloucestershire, have raised almost £9,000 and will distribute the shirts through schools and community groups.
The total includes a £2,000 donation from presenter and actor James Corden.
Mr Watson said they hope to reduce "pressure on the parents" amid the cost of living crisis.
The couple, both 38, said their "Kitmas" project is a way of giving children "a sense of identity".
Paul and Lizzie Watson have raised almost £9,000 for this year's Kitmas appeal
"Growing up, we didn't always get a football shirt - it was like the pinnacle of a present - but if you did, it was like that was your Christmas made, I still remember how that felt," said Mr Watson.
"What's so sad now is that most families cannot football shirts for their children because the cost is so ridiculous.
"It's a way of saying, 'you're part of this and you belong'," he added.
The project started in 2020 when the couple organised 1,000 shirts for children. Last year they reach the 2,000 mark.
Kitmas, which is supported by the donation of shirts as well as money to buy them, has inspired other groups to do their own "spin-offs", including clubs such as Cheltenham Town and Frome Town.
People can donate shirts as well as money to help get more kits to children this Christmas
Mrs Watson said they had been heartened by the stories they hear about children receiving one of their shirts.
"There was a kid whose Barcelona towel was his prized possession and then he got a Barcelona shirt from us and he literally couldn't believe it - he cried.
"These are the stories that we want more of because they remind us that this is a real thing we're doing," she added.
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The couple, who live with their sons Luca, five, and 18-month-old Benji, said they were "jumping around the kitchen" when a £2,000 donation came in from James Corden.
The presenter wrote: "This is such a great idea Paul and Lizzie. Happy Kitmas x x x".
Mr Watson said the donation will fund 100 football shirts and was "the nicest moment".
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