TackleAfrica
TackleAfrica is a UK based charity that uses football to educate about sexual and reproductive health and rights across sub-Saharan Africa.
It was founded in May 2002 by a group of young people from the UK who had all previously lived or worked in Africa and had an interest in sport. They recognised the potential of football to aid peace and development, whilst providing a platform from which to channel hugely important messages about HIV and AIDS amongst other important issues.[1]
TackleAfrica influences change by training African football coaches, games teachers and more to use fun, interactive football sessions with built-in health messaging to educate young people within their communities. As well as receiving sexual health information during football sessions, players are also able to access sexual health services at sessions and football tournaments; this can include: HIV testing, condoms and other contraception, and referrals to further clinical services.
Governance[edit]
TackleAfrica is governed by a trustee board, a small staff team in the UK, regional (West, East and Southern Africa) and local teams in each of the countries they work in.
Events & Fundraising[edit]
Football Marathons[edit]
Each year, TackleAfrica run their regular fundraisers known as 'Football Marathons'. These are generally based across multiple locations across the UK; such as London, Brighton, Jersey[2] and Oxford.
Football Marathons consist of a large number of 6-a-side teams playing (relatively) non-stop for the duration of 12 hours. Each team commits to raise a fundraising target (between £1360 and £1760 per team depending on the location), making it their responsibility to actively seek sponsorship for competing in this tournament.
TackleAfrica's Football Marathons have racked up a large following over the years, which usually allows them to raise impressive amounts of money, such as the £175,000 collected in the summer of 2021.[3]
#RaceToAfrica[edit]
During the UK lock-down summer of 2020, TackleAfrica and its supporters embarked on the 'Race to Africa' in which they'd virtually run, swim, walk or cycle across 25 countries on a mission to travel the distance between London and Durban - whilst stopping off in the 12 TackleAfrica host nations.
TackleAfrica teamed up with Strange Thoughts[4], Landmrk[5] and YouTuber, Andy Castell (also known as AJ3) to create an interactive experience for participants to register and track their progress whilst also learning about the organisation and the important work it does along the way.
Media Presence[edit]
Podcast[edit]
TackleAfrica released the pilot episode of "The TackleAfrica Podcast" on the 24th April 2021. They use this platform to give those involved in the organisation - including supporters, UK staff and coaches on the ground - a voice, and allow them to tell their own stories to a potentially global audience.[6]
References[edit]
- ↑ "Who We Are". Tackle Africa. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
- ↑ "11 Jersey football teams to undergo marathon match to raise money for charity". ITV. 7 August 2021. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "£175k Raised – The Football Marathons 2021 : The Review". Tackle Africa. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
- ↑ "Strange Thoughts | Inventors of the Inconceivable". www.strangethoughts.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
- ↑ "LANDMRK – There's a time and a place for content". Retrieved 2021-09-29.
- ↑ "The TackleAfrica Podcast • A podcast on Anchor". Anchor. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
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