England Footballers Back Unicef Work
The England Footballer’s Foundation (EFF) has made a commitment to support Unicef for the next four years in a new partnership that aims to help tackle malaria; a disease that still claims the life of a child every thirty seconds.
Unicef UK executive director David Bull said of the partnership: ‘The simplest way to keep children safe from malaria is to ensure that they sleep under a mosquito net, but many are still living without this basic life-saving need.’
‘The faces of the England football team are some of the most recognisable in the country so it is great to have them on board to help us raise awareness to tackle malaria and protect all those children in danger.’
The EFF was set up in 2007 by the England team’s commercial representative agency 1966 after the international players’ started to donate their match fees to charity, and will now arrange fundraising events for the charity with England stars.
The first fundraiser in the new partnership will take place on Friday, 30th October, in London and will see three of England’s Arsenal contingent – Danny Welbeck, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Jack Wilshere – manage teams competing for the EFF Charity Cup.
Since its foundation seven years ago, the EFF has raised £3.5 million for its charity partners.
To launch the partnership England captain Wayne Rooney, along with Joe Hart, Gary Cahill and Wilshere feature alongside children from William Shrewsbury Primary School, Burton upon Trent (pictured above).
England captain, Wayne Rooney added: ‘It’s unbelievable that every ninety minutes – the time it takes to play a football match – 180 children will lose their lives to malaria. As captain of the England football team I am hugely proud that we are able to help Unicef in its goal of protecting every child in danger from this disease.’
