KEVIN Davies wants to dish out some early Christmas presents to clubs and athletes around Bolton in a £90,000 giveaway.

The former Wanderers captain has announced he will be closing his charity, KiDs of Bolton, in the next few months after raising more than £250,000 for good causes in the town.

Davies has been able to help purchase equipment for hundreds of young athletes in the last five years, including footballers, wrestlers, gymnasts and swimmers.

But with a healthy sum still in the pot Davies wants one final push to ensure every penny is spent on deserving causes and has asked for applications for funding to be made by the end of next month.

Aimed specifically at Under-18s and grassroots sport, Davies has purchased equipments for dozens of clubs who would otherwise have struggled since launching the charity in 2010.

“I’m very proud of the work me, Emma and the team have done,” he told The Bolton News.

“I’ve lost count of the cheque presentations, the rain jackets, bibs, gym equipment and things we’ve been able to buy, and every single second we’ve spent doing it has been worth it.

“But we felt it was time to wind things up now because applications have slowed down and we simply can’t devote the time and energy required to keep it going at 100 per cent.

“We’ve informed all the trustees and gone through the motions but the last thing we want to do is make sure that every pound goes to someone who deserves it.

“The reason we set up KiDs of Bolton is because I know it can sometimes be difficult to buy the things you need to compete in sport. It’s expensive.

“We can’t say yes to everyone, of course, but I’d like to think that if you’re in the Bolton area and you are struggling to buy a piece of equipment or kit, then we can help in some way.”

Davies will be handing a sum of money to the Bolton, Bury and District Football League to distribute within their own remit in the future but the former striker is not setting a cap on the size of any application.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s £100 or £10,000,” Davies explained, “I’d like people to step forward and if we can’t help for any reason, we may be able to offer advice. We can’t help everyone, and we might have to be selective, but I’d like to think we can get round as many people as possible and have one final big push.

“If some of the youngsters we’ve helped go on and make a success of whatever sport or profession they choose then it will all have been worth it, for me.”

If you would like to apply for funding from KiDs of Bolton, email kidsofbolton@yahoo.co.uk with an outline of what you need, including contact details, before the end of November.