John Barnes with Ethiopian youngster Habtamu Tilahun Abrham and Chivenor prizewinner Nicole Bradley
John Barnes, one of England’s greatest footballers of the modern age, visited Chivenor School today to preside over an exchange of football kits between Chivenor and an Ethiopian school.
Nicole Bradley, a year 6 pupil at Chivenor, had won a national competition to design a soccer kit. 4,000 miles away, the competition was also run in Ethiopia, and the two team kits were exchanged in a school assembly this afternoon as part of the ‘Wash and Go’s Score Ethiopia Kit Exchange Scheme’.
John Barnes, the ambassador for ‘Score Ethiopia’ Charity, told the Chivenor children that in some of the areas he had visited in Ethiopia, the children had to travel five miles each day to find water.
Habtamu, from Hibret Elementary School in Lalibela in Ethiopia, demonstrated his considerable soccer talents on the school field after the presentation. He is staying in the UK for a month before returning home.
John, formerly a Watford and Liverpool star, has been manager of the Jamaican national soccer team until taking up a post as manager of Tranmere Rovers two weeks ago. He delighted his audience by dancing with Headteacher Melisa Louca, reminding them of his television appearances on Strictly Come Dancing.
1 Comment
July 14, 2009 at 7:16 pm
What a coup for the school! Well done – we’ll all be supporting Tranmere Rovers this seaon!