In June, Gilbert, our Service Director for the Nursing Directorate, travelled over 4,000 miles from Liverpool to his childhood home in rural Kenya – carrying a suitcase full of Liverpool Football Club kits kindly donated by WCHC colleagues.
The destination was Ndemu Secondary School, set beneath the slopes of Mount Kenya, where pupils are passionate LFC supporters but had never owned the team’s kit. Gilbert’s appeal to staff for shirts “gathering dust at home” received a heart-warming response, providing enough kits for two full teams.
He hand-delivered them to delighted pupils aged 13–18, spending time chatting, singing You’ll Never Walk Alone, and even joining in a Kiswahili song declaring “Moyo Wangu Wapende Liverpool” – “My heart loves Liverpool.”
“This was my way of making a small difference,” Gilbert said. “The joy on their faces made every mile worth it.”
Looking ahead, Gilbert hopes to do more to support the school, from improving science and IT facilities to tackling period poverty.
He extends his heartfelt thanks to everyone who donated, adding: “Every kit made a difference to a young person’s life.”
