Kit Out Sunderland helping the planet and local participants

Kit Out Sunderland will help the planet by providing individuals and community youth and sports organisations across the area with the opportunity to see their new or unwanted sports kit and active wear given a new life, rather than stay in the bottom of a wardrobe or end up in landfill.

The donations will then be sorted in early July and distributed to children, young people and families through local groups, supporting local people be more active this summer and beyond.

Kit Out Sunderland is a collective partnership between Active Sunderland, RISE, Sported, StreetGames and Youth Sport Trust, with sponsorship from the North East Combined Authority.

The partners are working together to reduce barriers to participation in sport and physical activity locally, whilst reducing the environmental impact of sports kit and active wear. Striving to have healthier, safer, and more active communities.

Donation points will be open at various locations from 6-29 June, with special requests for sports and active leisure tops, hoodies and tracksuits, leggings and joggers, waterproofs, trainers and football boots which are new or in a clean and useable condition.

Special donation stations will also be open at the Nissan manufacturing plant for Nissan employees to donate their sports kit and active wear.

Donations will be sorted by young volunteers from Sunderland College and the Foundation of Light once the collection window closes on 29 June, before local youth and sports organisations distribute the donations to local children, young people and families accessing their services.

A full list of public donation stations is available below:

·       Sunderland Aquatic Centre

·       Ford Football Hub

·       Downhill Football Hub

·       Washington Football Hub

·       Raich Carter Sport Centre

·       Silksworth Community Pool, Tennis and Wellness Centre

·       Houghton Sports Centre

·       Hetton Community Pool and Wellness Centre

·       Washington Leisure Centre

·       Beacon of Light

·       Sunderland City Hall

·       Sunderland College

Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Tourism at Sunderland City Council, Councillor Beth Jones, said: "This is a fantastic way of giving a new lease of life to unwanted sports kit.

"It helps both those who want to get active but don't have the kit and those who have it but no longer need it.

"We're delighted it's happening in Sunderland and our thanks go all the partners who are hosting donation boxes."

Director of Skills, Inclusion & Public Service Reform, Charlotte Carpenter, said: "Sport and physical activity has so much to offer from a mental, physical and social health perspective, so to see organisations in the region working together to reduce barriers to participation is something we are delighted to support and fund as part of our mission to reduce child poverty. 

"We encourage everyone who lives, works and visits the Sunderland area to consider donating where they can and help us to create a better community for all."

Strategic Lead for Children and Young People's Health and Wellbeing at Rise North East, Louise Laws, said: "There's an amazing buzz in Sunderland right now and this is a great chance to boost that even more.  

"Donating new or recycled sports kit and active clothing/footwear that you don't need helps local children, young people and families in your community and also helps the environment, because it doesn't go to waste or end up in landfills. 

"Once we sort the kit, it'll go to local people so that they can get more active and really improve their health and wellbeing, because every child and young person has the right to play and be active. We look forward to continuing to build relationships to empower the community to sustain and upscale this offer, wider."

Sported Regional Manager for the North East, Kathryn Foley, said: "Sported's network of clubs and groups across the North East support local participants to be active and take part in sport every week.

"It's exciting that we can take this opportunity through Kit Out Sunderland to benefit local people and the environment through distributing unwanted kit, and I look forward to seeing the items donated and distributed through our Sported network members."

StreetGames North East Network Lead, Anna Coulson, said: "Working with Locally Trusted Organisations on a daily basis we know there is so much amazing work happening around the city to provide a year-round, multi-sport offer to young people but despite this some young people still cannot access it due to not having the appropriate sports kit.

"We have worked with some of these organisations to really understand what is needed within their communities and we hope this initiative will help young people to become physically active into the future! We also wanted to ensure that sports kit gets a full life and doesn't end up in landfill!"