BURNLEY Football Club is helping former child soldiers look forward to a new life in the New Year with some very special gifts.

The Clarets have donated football strips to CAFOD North West to help former child soldiers in Liberia regain their lost childhood.

The famous claret and blue strip will soon be sported on the war-torn streets of the West African country as part of a demobilisation and reintegration programme supported by the Catholic aid agency CAFOD and set up by their partner Don Bosco Homes.

The ambitious programme aims to counsel and then reunite the former child soldiers with their families.

A central part of the programme is football, which the charity says helps alleviate depression and teaches the children how to work as a team preparing them for life back in their home communities.

Many of the former child soldiers arrive virtually naked at the shelters and at most they have only one set of clothes.

The strips donated by Burnley FC, as well as individual donations from football fans in the Burnley and Liverpool areas, will enable the children to play football with pride.

Burnley FC scout and CAFOD volunteer Fred Uttley, who lives in Simonstone, helped organise the donation of the strips.

He said: "There are thousands of children in Liberia who have known nothing apart from war.

"This seemed like a good idea to get them back into normal life through sport and games."

Anne-Marie Coppock, CAFOD North West Regional Assistant, said: "The only teams that these children have known are ones that work together to loot, kill and maim.

"Like Burnley children, Liberian children have a real passion for football.

"The game is an excellent way to teach children and young people how to work together constructively at the same time as having fun.

It also helps them to enjoy being children again."

There are up to 15,000 child soldiers in Liberia according to United Nations estimates.

Don Bosco Homes has been receiving children as young as nine since fighting between the government forces and MODEL and LURD rebel groups ceased in August.

Don Bosco Homes are expecting thousands of former child soldiers to arrive at its night shelters in the coming weeks as the official demobilisation of the three Liberian militia forces gets underway.

The strips are expected to arrive in Liberia in January.

Fourteen years of conflict ended earlier this year when former president Charles Taylor was sent into exile.

The country was founded by American slaves.

Soldiers will get $300 as part of nine month UN operation to help bring peace back to the region.