OLD shirts, shorts and socks are needed to provide a lifeline to impoverished areas of football-mad Africa.

Teams in the North-East are being asked to donate disused strips to assist the Tackle Africa charity.

Twenty volunteers will travel to Africa in a fortnight at the start of a six-month tour.

Visiting 11 countries, they will set up and oversee 15 events that will feature local people. They will also give advice on combating Aids and HIV.

Teams taking part in the tournaments will be presented with the strips collected by the charity.

Among them will be a large consignment of kits donated by one of the North-East's leading youth football clubs.

Following recent sponsorship by Home Housing Association Limited, Humbledon and Plains Farm FC, in Sunderland, has acquired new kits for all 12 of its teams.

As a result, the club was able to donate about 100 strips, as well as some nets, to Tackle Africa's managing director, Ben Maitland, on his first visit in the role to the North-East earlier this week.

Mr Maitland said: "Obviously teams tend to change their strip every two to three years, but, providing they are still in a reasonable condition, we are happy to have the old sets.

"They are fanatical about football over there. They know a lot about our teams and players but, due to the levels of poverty, they could never afford the cost of the basic things like strips and balls."

The Football Association and manufacturer Mitre have donated more than 50 balls for the charity to take with it on the trip.

Any clubs wishing to pass on kits can find out more about the charity at www.tackleafrica.org, or by calling (01256) 851144.