Boys in an overseas football team are often laughed at because of their lack of kit - but thanks to a Harpenden school they can now hold their heads up high.

Thanks to a partnership with the charity Harpenden Spotlight on Africa (Spotlight), St Nicholas School in the town has raised funds for Uganda in the past including facilitating a safe drinking water project, furnishing a newly-constructed school and buying goats to generate income for the families of widows and orphans.

Now it has donated netballs, football and footballs kits to Musoto Christian School (MCS) in the Mbale region of Eastern Uganda.

Deo Okello, sports teacher at MCS, said “Sometimes our football team is laughed at because they do not have football kit and play without shoes. Although the other teams stop laughing when they see how good our boys are. Now the boys will play with even greater pride and we are so grateful to St Nicholas School.”

Hilary Hollick, chair of Spotlight’s school liaison team, said: “St Nicholas was one of the first schools that Spotlight linked with and we are grateful for their long-standing support.”

And Rizelle Crouch, head of St Nicholas School, added: “It was amazing to see the photo outlining the thank you note to St Nicholas.”