What is SOS KIT AID

SOS Kit Aid exists because sport changes lives.



Our mission is to recycle sports kit for the benefit of young people in the UK and overseas so they are given a sporting chance. We make a positive and tangible impact on children’s lives by giving them the chance to participate in sporting activities; promote social inclusion; and protect the environment.



Our vision is to give all children access to sport, and in doing so, reduce the volume of sports kit in landfill sites.

Read our 2012 Impact Report

Please note that this report was published when SOS Kit Aid was also recycling and donating cricket kit but gives a great overview of our work.

BACKGROUND

SOS Kit Aid was founded by rugby dad, John Broadfoot, during a visit to Romania. The sight of a smiling eight-year-old boy running with the ball under one arm whilst he used the other to hold up his shorts made him want to do something about it.



He knew that his sons had several pairs of boots and shirts lying around at home. So to test out the potential, John collected kit from ten schools to see how much was available on a wider scale. The test was an outstanding success both in terms of quantity and quality of kit, which resulted in the International Rugby Board (now called World Rugby) endorsing and funding the expansion to over 1,000 schools and clubs.



With the support of the World Rugby, kit has been donated by schools, clubs and kit manufacturers across the UK, with an estimated value of over £6 million delivered to date. Over 250,000 youngsters in 44 developing countries around the world have received quality used and new kit, and there are a further 20 countries on the waiting list.



The key idea of John’s initiative is to give young people the opportunity to play and enjoy sport, whilst also making use of kit that would otherwise become environmentally damaging waste. The programme has saved over 750 tonnes of environmentally damaging CO 2 emissions to date.

World Rugby support

Financial support and recognition is given to the project by the World Rugby - the world's governing body for Rugby Union. Their funding helps to cover the cost of storage and the logistics of collecting and transporting rugby kit to the countries that need it the most.