A boy with cerebral palsy has inspired a football club to donate old shirts to help him live independently.

Wealdstone Football Club of Grosvenor Vale, Ruislip, have joined the Help for Sam campaign, which asks football fans and clubs to donate old and new kits to be sold to raise money for nine-year-old Sam Acres.

Sam’s uncle, James Smith, works as a sports therapist for the club. He said: “Sam is getting older now and the next few years are vital to his physical development.

"With funding scarce it is important we get the support we need to help Sam become as independent as possible going into his teenage and adult years.”

Sam (pictured) - a Manchester United fan as well as a supporter of The Stones - was diagnosed with the condition as a one-year-old and has been wheelchair dependent ever since.

The Help for Sam campaign was set up last year and enabled his family, who live in Aylesbury, to buy him a new wheelchair.

“We are so grateful to all the people who donated shirts as well as new clubs and fans coming forward to help,” Mr Smith said.

“But we need more people to donate now. We’ve had shirts from as far as Ireland and non-league clubs like Carshalton, Tring Athletic, Leiston, Dulwich Hamlet, Sutton Coldfield and Willenhall Town so far, plus donations from fans of Premier League teams.

“A couple of players from Colchester United, Fulham and Hull City have donated shirts, and Glen Little, who now plays for Wealdstone, will sign a Burnley shirt – the club he played for.

“We’d love other clubs and fans to come forward with old or new shirts of good condition to help our campaign. Sam is a massive football fan and we’d love to see him kick a ball unaided one day,” he said.

The club has a board set up at the Ruislip ground, which is also the home of Ruislip Social Club, dedicated to the campaign.

If you can help please contact James via twitter: @helpforsam, email: jamesyharrow@aol.com, or call him on 07956 483370.