Young people co-design Cambridge United
football kit in community collaboration
with The Fitzwilliam Museum
A pioneering community collaboration between The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge United Football Club, and local charity Romsey Mill has empowered young people to co-design a bespoke football kit that celebrates creativity, heritage, and community voice this Black History Month.
The one-of-a-kind kit, co-created with Romsey Mill's Thursday Youth Club, will be worn by the Cambridge United FC first team when they face Bromley at the Cledara Abbey Stadium on Saturday 18 October.
Following the game, the match-worn shirts will be signed and auctioned off in aid of Romsey Mill.
Credit: Cambridge United
Credit: Cambridge United
The inspiration behind the kit is the painting, 'An Eighteenth-Century Family' (2022), a recent Fitzwilliam Museum acquisition by acclaimed artist Joy Labinjo.
The painting depicts abolitionist Olaudah Equiano, his wife Susanna Cullen, and their daughters. The family lived in Soham in Cambridgeshire with their daughters in the 18th Century, connecting local Cambridge history with wider national themes of identity, representation, and belonging.
"This project is about more than designing a kit. It's about these three key organisations coming together to celebrate the extraordinary ambitions of people both past and present. Young people across the city, continue to be driven to make a positive difference where they live and further afield. By connecting their current aspirations with stories of those who made change in the past, and by showing real career opportunities along the way, we aim to demonstrate that the city is behind them."
Credit: Cambridge United
Credit: Cambridge United
The themes of the painting were explored by one of Romsey Mill's youth groups through a series of weekly creative workshops led by digital artist Antonio Roberts. His work with museums such as the Tate, blends digital design, glitch aesthetics, and co-creation with youth.
Using a combination of hand-drawn artworks and digital software, participants developed bold abstract patterns to form the foundation of the kit design. These were then adapted into a final digital kit by a professional graphic designer in collaboration with sportswear specialists Kitlocker.
Joy Labinjo, An Eighteenth-Century Family, 2022, Fitzwilliam Museum. Courtesy of the Artist and Tiwani Contemporary
Joy Labinjo, An Eighteenth-Century Family, 2022, Fitzwilliam Museum. Courtesy of the Artist and Tiwani Contemporary
"At Romsey Mill, we're passionate about collaborating with local organisations like The Fitzwilliam Museum and Cambridge United to create exciting opportunities that our young people might not otherwise experience. It's particularly meaningful when these opportunities are not only unique but also deeply significant - like this one, which celebrates Black History Month."
The collaboration aims to inspire new connections between museums and football fans, foster creative and employability skills among under-represented youth, and show how sport can act as a platform for cultural expression.
The Cambridge United Fourth Shirt is available now from shop.cambridgeunited.com or in-person at the Club Store on Newmarket Road.
"At Cambridge United, we believe football has the power to bring communities together and shine a light on important stories. This collaboration with the Fitzwilliam Museum and Romsey Mill is about more than a shirt - it's about celebrating Black heritage, educating through creativity, and giving a platform to voices that deserve to be heard. We're proud to play our part during Black History Month and beyond."
Watch a special launch film starring Sullay Kaikai at the Fitzwilliam Museum below, where he tells his story as a black British footballer of Sierra Leone heritage.
The text in this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Story by: Jessica Keating and Emma Shaw
Date: 15 October 2025
