With coaching exchanges, collaborative promotion of women’s football, and co-development and implementation of a new ‘Football for Good’ curriculum embracing health, education, social inclusion, and employment, Wrexham and Kick4Life hope to strengthen their influence on the community. The alliance will reach 3,000 vulnerable children and young people in both areas over the course of the next three years.
Based on parallels in size, geography, population, bilingualism, and cultural legacy, the national twinning between Wales, in the United Kingdom, and Lesotho, in Southern Africa, was initiated at a meeting in Wrexham in 1984. This is the foundation upon which the club twinning is built. Since then, the ‘Wales-Lesotho Link’ has witnessed a number of cooperative initiatives, such as creative and educational exchanges, which have benefited citizens of both countries, fostered cultural understanding and awareness, and enabled a two-way flow of information.
Wrexham AFC’s executive director, Humphrey Ker, stated: “We had to seize this chance when it was presented because of the connection between Lesotho and Wales that was established in Wrexham. This is the initial step toward our larger goal of establishing a global connection between the Wrexham community and the outside world. I’m thrilled to be representing the Club at the launch event.
“We are two clubs with very different histories and separated by nearly 6,000 miles, but united by a common commitment to, and connection with, their local communities,” said Motlatsi Nkhahle, Country Director for Kick4Life (shown above). Viewers of the Welcome to Wrexham documentary series are well aware of the club’s significant cultural value to the local community. Additionally, people who are familiar with Kick4Life’s work will be aware of our club’s commitment to bringing about social change in the Mountain Kingdom.
