Sports kit and equipment recycling schemes are becoming really popular across the UK as organisations look for ways to help their communities stay active during the cost-of-living crisis while also doing their bit to reduce waste.
One such scheme is the ‘Community Kit Room’ which was launched in Blaenau Gwent last February. From football boots to shorts, swimming costumes and gymnastic leotards, the Community Kit Room has redistributed 307 items of footwear or clothing to 127 people of all ages during the last year. The scheme’s positive impact even saw it win Street Games ‘Mental Health and Well-being’ award.
To help partners who might be considering setting up something similar, we caught up with Cameron Herring, Community Sports Officer for the Aneurin Leisure Trust, to find out how he went about creating the Community Kit Room and what he’s learned so far…
Meeting local need
The original idea came from me and my colleague Adam, who works as the Community Engagement Officer for the Trust. We initially talked about setting up a 'Boot Bank' similar to a project which is currently running in Swansea. After initial meetings we believed that the 'Kit Room' idea would be the better option as it would help us support more individuals in Blaenau Gwent and not just those who played football and rugby.
Setting the scheme up
Once the idea had been approved, we then had to work out where the Community Kit Room was going to be based and how much funding could be put towards the project. We identified an old storeroom in Abertillery Sports Centre which we transformed and we utilised StreetGames Wales’ Family Engagement funding to purchase shelving and clothing rails for the room so that we can hang and present the items we offer.
In keeping with the sporting and physical activity theme, we contacted local businesses who kindly provided cuts of 3G grass which have been glued to the shelving units. We also used recycled wooden flooring to replace the old carpet which was in the storeroom.
Getting the word out there!
Our close links with local schools, clubs and organisations across Blaenau Gwent have been hugely important. Making sure that those people who need the support are aware of the Community Kit Room has been our priority from the start. Creating links with teachers, Safeguarding Leads, Families First officers and other support streams have been extremely beneficial.
As the project has grown, we have also created new relationships with individuals who work and link with the communities who benefit from the service.
Although it has been a success, the time spent linking with schools, clubs, organisations and key individuals can be quite costly in terms of man hours. The project relies heavily on these people sharing the key messages of the project and often requires chase ups and repeat emails to ensure that information is passed on correctly.
