Gillingham Football Club wants your old boots.

The club has appealed for donations ahead of a trip to Sri Lanka later this year with its charity Take Heart Mercy Mission.

Each year a team of volunteer doctors and nurses from Evelina Children’s Hospital head to Galle to carry out life-saving heart surgery for desperately sick youngsters, most between the age of one and five.

This year, as part of the visit, the club will be sending six coaches to spend eight days teaching boys and girls from schools in the area.

Gillingham will be handing out playing shirts and, with the public’s help, they hope to be giving as many pairs of children’s and young adults football boots as possible.

In a letter to fans chairman Paul Scally said: “We anticipate coaching around 1,400 children over the period, so please send us any boots or decent trainers your children no longer use, or have outgrown, and we will ensure they find a good home.”

A ball held at Priestfield last Saturday raised more than £40,000 for this year’s Take Heart trip. The night included an auction with the chance to train with the Gills, flying lessons and a Caribbean holiday among the lots.

Mr Scally said the funds will enable them to operate on up to 21 critically sick children with serious heart defects.

Take Heart has been carrying out missions to Galle for more than 13 years in which time around 260 surgeries have taken place, all free of charge to the patients and their families.

To donate boots, drop them into the club for the attention of kitman Malcolm Stedman.