We caught up with Jade Hall, Sport and Physical Activity Coordinator at Musselburgh Grammar, to chat about the new Kit for All initiative in East Lothian.
Can you tell us more about the Sports Recycling project and how it came about?
As you know playing sports provides children and young people with many benefits, both physical and emotional. However, often many young people are excluded from sport due to the cost barrier. The East Lothian Kit Stop was created to give youngsters in East Lothian access to equipment and clothing they need to participate in their chosen sport. This really was the next step for us in removing costs for our families and providing longevity to the funding initiatives and free activity promotional code we already offered to pupils who are recipients of free school meals, are young carers or are care experienced.
We had discussed this as a team multiple times and I had talked about this in my interview as something I would like to start within East Lothian. Then when the pandemic hit us in 2020 and the world went into crisis. Extra - curricular stopped and we had more time and I put together a proposal for Mark and it just grew from there.....
To provide equipment free of charge ELKS taps into the generosity of our community by encouraging us all to donate our preloved sports gear. By working together we can get more young people active but also help with reducing waste through reuse and recycling. All our secondary schools in East Lothian are operating a smaller sports recycling bank which pupils can access daily to collect what they need and or donate items into our donation bin. We ask that all kit is clean and in good reusable condition, but we do still have a maintenance kit in each of our schools to give any equipment a slight refurbishment or face lift. For example a new pair of laces etc.
The idea was to operate from a main bag and have our secondary schools as feeders, but we are still working to secure our main bank location. It is hoped that having a central bank in East Lothian will allow us to develop ELKS on a greater scale, creating more awareness, more momentum and more essential equipment being donated. In the meantime we all tap into our smaller banks if a young person requires an item and we do not have it. It is important to mention that branching out to sports shops, sports centres, community groups and clubs and other relevant parties has played a vital role in getting The East Lothian Kit Stop up and running.
What do you enjoy most about Sports Recycling?
The thing I like most about the Sports Recycling programme is that is creates a level playing field before any child or young person reaches the pitch or gym hall. We see young people not attending extra - curricular activities or even taking part in PE for various reasons, and this is one thing we can help with - removing the cost barrier for clothing, equipment and footwear. Our banks can be accessed by any young person, no criteria and we promote it as an eco friendly initiative, where if we all do our part we can try to encourage a more sustainable East Lothian. In doing so removing the stigma that the recycling bank is only for low income families, and that as a community we can all be doing our part. Then hopefully in turn we are doing our bit to help the planet but also we are reaching those who are in most need.
Ultimately, though for me it is the smile on a young persons face when they get the kit they need. It really is priceless and rewarding in itself. Just tonight I had two new S1's joining our school rugby club and they came along to our sports recycling bank at Musselburgh Grammar School. Using the kit stop we were able to kit them out with our rugby branded clothing and a pair of boots. They were so excited trying the kit on, and instantly felt like they fitted in. Most importantly it allowed them to start feeling part of the team already and have that sense of belonging. Turning up to any Extra - Curricular for the first time can be so daunting at the best of times, so it is great to be able to further alleviate some of the anxiety and/or apprehensions.
What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced and how did you overcome it?
For me personally, it was trying to make all the donated kit perfect. I wanted every young persons' to have a positive experience of receiving kit. So that they would be able to take pride in their items - feel comfortable and happy with what they have received and most importantly want to come back when they needed the next size up or for another sport. I didn't want to be raking through my donation bin or black bags of crushed clothing to find them the items they need or a bag of dirty boots. I was overwhelmed by the response to donations, that I struggled to keep up!
Now using a trusted excel spreadsheet, that my lovely colleague made. We all record as a team all donated items, so we can instantly see what equipment and clothing we have in each of ours banks. This means I can now check instantly when pupils come in, and if I don't have it to hand I can arrange for them to pop back at a later time to allow them to still have that positive experience. I also now dedicate a set time each week to go through new donations and where space permits I have some items arranged on clothing rails like a shop for better presentation.
What feedback have you received on the project?
We have had some great feedback from pupils, parents/guardians and community groups, saying that they are delighted to now have somewhere they can offload no longer used kit too. Often it was just being put in the bin and or taking up storage in the house - being no use to anyone. It is also been seen as a great way for people do their part for the planet whilst also being able to support children and young people get active and into sport within their local community. It is still evident that not everyone knows about the East Lothian Kit Stop so we have been further branching out to create awareness and we aim to work more on this in our official launch.
"My children are going through a growth spurt moment, and things are not fitting for long. It is great that I have somewhere now that I can donate outgrown sports clothing and kit to. All items have only been used a handful of times. It is great initiative to give them another lease of life" S3 Parent
"It allowed me to feel part of the team, as I was able to turn up wearing the same strip wearing as everyone else" S1 Pupil
"It really is so simple.. all I need to do is pop in and see my Active schools coordinator and I just swap my current kit for the next size up. It allows someone to get another use out of my old kit whilst I also get what I need - it is a win win, and always me to do my part to help the planet" S6 Pupil
What advice would you give to others looking to start a similar initiative?
Don't work in isolation - so many people, partners, clubs members of the community and local shops will want to help or be able to offer advice. It all starts with a conversation..... through the building of relationships it creates partnership working, support, momentum and awareness for any new project!
Lastly set an allocated amount of it time to your new initiative, as it might be slow to start with, but it can very quickly become a full time job. Never underestimate the impact of what you are doing is having - if you can even help one child then it is worth doing! Usually after supporting one child, it starts the process to helping more!
