A CHARITY match is taking place at Hampshire FA’s Stoneham Lane this weekend to raise funds for a new football academy for vulnerable young people in Rwanda.

On Sunday, August 20 (4:15PM), Equip FC will take on Hampshire Charity FC in a one-off exhibition in Southampton in aid of Equip’s ‘Victory Football Academy’.

Admission is just £1 with the fixture hosted at AFC Stoneham’s stadia pitch – a QR code downloaded online will be needed for entry – after chairman Mark Stupple allowed Equip to use their ground.

Equip is a UK-based charity and Rwandan INGO working to promote opportunity and excellence in education for young people in the African nation.

The event’s organiser, Bethany Tuck, is the lead UK coordinator of Equip’s Victory Football Academy is also collecting football donations to take to Rwanda herself in person next month.

Bethany raised at least £1,200 during the month of June, as she ran 5km a day in aid of the same cause. Now, she is hoping to be able to give even more courtesy of the public’s generosity.

She said: “I first visited Rwanda when I was 15 with my school, of which Paul Johnson was the headmaster, to visit Equip's projects.

“The country has stayed in my heart since! I'm now 21, I just completed a degree in Sports Performance Coaching at Solent University and decided to contact Equip to see if I could get involved somehow.

“I met with Ruth Johnson, and she told me all about the plans for the Victory Football Academy project and it sounded like an amazing opportunity which matched my own passions and ambitions!”

Bethany added: “The academy will be for vulnerable young people in Rwanda, who may otherwise be lacking in sporting opportunities, providing them with a team that they can be a part of and take pride in.

“The setup will be based in Masaka, in the district of Kicukiro, on a full-size pitch where footballing excellence will be the focus!

“The people of Masaka will also be able to utilise Equip's nearby beautiful office complex, where we can also offer further academy-style support such as nutritional advice, fitness and learning activities and more.”

Printed programmes and freshly baked cakes will also be available at the event, which sees AFC Stoneham’s Ladies take on Brentford B in a pre-season friendly first from 2PM.