Elstree is very excited and proud to announce that we shall be hosting a visit from the Coastal Kings Under 13 football team from Mombasa, Kenya. The boys, fourteen in all, will be in England from Wednesday 29^th September until Wednesday 6^th October. All of the children are from the most socially depressed area of the city and live on the streets. Their only support comes from an organization called Glad’s House, (www.gladshouse.com) a charity that encourages children off the streets and into education.  

One of the most popular activities that the boys can participate in is playing football. For this participation, they are rewarded with food meaning they no longer need to scavenge on the streets of Mombasa. Their team, the Coastal Kings, is very good and we are all looking forward to playing with and against them.

Their stay will be a mixture of sport and culture. What the boys will enjoy most is the opportunity to share in family life and we shall be looking for families to host the boys. Their safety at home in Mombasa dictates that they are never alone so the boys will come in pairs. If any family would like to be involved in hosting please contact  Steve Bates ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) for more details.

A full itinerary will be organised presently but, just as a taster, it will involve contact with Chelsea Football Club who are also involved with this project. Soccer AM, of Sky Sports fame, have Glad’s House as their charity of the year and they intend to follow this group of boys through the selection process to the end of the tour. As the boys themselves have nothing, we shall be organising some fundraising events to cover the cost of their trip.

This is a fantastic opportunity for Elstree boys to be involved with a group of children from a completely different background who share a love of playing football. Friendships will be formed that one hopes will last a lifetime.  Who knows, Elstree pupils or staff may visit them one day or an individual go there on his Gap Year. What starts this September one hopes will continue for many years to come.