Beyond Sport

SOS IRB Kit Aid

Award Entered:
Sport for the Environment Award
Parent Organisation:
SOS IRB Kit Aid
Project Host Nation:
UK
Overview of Project:
In the 8 years since we started we have sent nearly £1.5 million pounds worth of quality used/new rugby kit to 14 emerging rugby nations in Europe, Africa and Asia and we have 56 more countries our waiting list( see our website for details). We are also backed by MPs, MEPS, RFU, rugby celebrities etc. SOS raises the awareness of the need for recycling in a new audience for environmental issues - the older generation within the rugby fraternity as well as youngsters at school - by reducing carbon footprints and pressure on the environment. SOS gives people a practical real live example of the benefits of recycling.We estimate over 1 million pounds of rugby kit is thrown annually into scarce UK landfill sites-we have only 9 years of sites left(DEFRA). We have launched "SOS Green" a community project that encourages school children to think about global warming and to start a recycling project in their school-starting with rugby kit. "SOS Green " has the full approval of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and can be done within the Community section of the D of E Award Scheme. SOS Green is also endorsed by the leading UK environmental magazine - Materials Recycling Weekly and the Recycling Dept of Middlesbrough Council who are advising us on best practise. We were the first people to get over 20 major UK kit manufacturers to think about recycling collectively and get behind SOS Green as an industry.

Comments

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: 01 Jun 2009 - 11:16 BST

Thank you for your question. I have tried to answer before but ran into technical difficulties. SOS is new but it could work in EVERY sport and in EVERY country, where one country has a surplus and another country has a shortage. .SOS not only supplies kit that would otherwise be thrown away but is also about social inclusion - it also tries to bring the donors and the donees together by encouraging dialogue and reciprocal visits/tours. We currently deliver most of our kit by truck but are looking at shipping kit in the future.Our kit is only a part load on a truck that is otherwise carrying many other goods. SOS is so simple - why dispose of good quality kit so desperately needed elsewhere - everyone WINS !