The Kit Us Out charity has launched a fundraising scheme to help equip athletes during the coronavirus pandemic ©Kit Us Out

British charity Kit Us Out, a longstanding partner of World Para Powerlifting, has launched a fundraising campaign to help equip Para-athletes during the coronavirus pandemic.

Kit Us Out is asking for donations of as little as £5 ($6.50/€5.50), with an overall target of £5,000 ($6,600/€5,500), as part of its #ItStartsWithKit initiative.

The #ItStartsWithKit campaign has been created "so others can share their experiences about how a piece of kit helped them to find their confidence, feel part of a team or achieve their earliest sporting aspirations", World Para Powerlifting said.

Kit Us Out has been a partner of World Para Powerlifting since 2015, assisting in providing athletes and coaches from developing nations with kit.

World Para Powerlifting said more than 30 countries had benefited from the agreement with Kit Us Out, which launched in Britain eight years ago.

"For me, my kit represents something unique, that identifies me as someone brave and focused," said Venezuela's Oriana Teran, who received a lifting suit to compete at the 2019 World Championships in Nur-Sultan as part of the deal between World Para Powerlifting and Kit Us Out.

"It is not easy to wear suit, as in order to do it you dedicate many hours of training, stay away from family, among other things. 

"That is why my kit is my most precious gift."