WITH the new football season just a few weeks away, a Chippenham shopping centre is calling on fans to donate their unwanted football shirts to charity.

The Emery Gate is encouraging fans to donate their old football shirts, especially children's sizes, to Project Fair Play rather than leave them languishing at the bottom of the wardrobe.

Nicola Milne, centre manager for Emery Gate, said: “Project Fair Play is a great way to re-gift a pre-loved, unwanted or outgrown football shirt to someone else who can’t afford their own.

“Most fans will have a few shirts they no longer wear, and this is the ideal way for them to be put to good use.”

Project Fair Play, initially launched when 20,000 football shirts were collected for the 2010 Football World Cup in South Africa, distributes the football shirts to disadvantaged youngsters.

With the Football World Cup in Rio next year, the project will be sending the shirts to youngsters in Brazil’s Parada de Lucas and Rocinha favelas and the Wheelchair Football Association are also set to benefit with funds from recycled shirts being donated to them.

Sam Bull, WFA national development manager, said: “We are delighted that the WFA were chosen to be part of and to benefit from Project Fair Play. The Project Fair Play money we receive is used to provide opportunities for people with high levels of impairment to play the sport they love.”

Football shirts can be left at the Emery Gate Shopping Centre anytime between now and August 31.