Stories across the UK

Discover how community schemes are helping families access free kits, boots and sports gear for children across the UK.

Through striking images, Paul documents how changing weather patterns are affecting local pitches and players nationwide.

At Leeds United’s training ground, Patrick Bamford and two youth players, Sam Chambers and James Debayo took on a new challenge, learning to sew and repair kit. As part of Green Football’s Great Save, they were shown how simple stitching techniques can extend the life of football shirts, helping to reduce the estimated 100,000 tonnes of sportswear that ends up in UK landfills every year.

Simple tips on reusing, swapping and upcycling football gear to reduce waste and keep the beautiful game green.

Fancy owning Mary Earps’ goalkeeping gloves? Or maybe Rio Ferdinand’s signed Manchester United shirt? How about a pair of Peter Crouch’s signed trainers or a designer KIT:BAG upcycled from football shirts by Christopher Raeburn?

Grassroots organisations are collecting second-hand kit and redistributing it to those who need it most.

RÆBURN, the fashion brand founded by award-winning designer Christopher Ræburn, is stepping in to shine a light on reusing kit.

Across the UK, football clubs are stepping up to reduce kit waste and make football more sustainable.

Jamie Carragher, Roy Keane, Ollie Watkins, Ben Mee, Juan Mata, Demi Stokes, Josie Green, Asmir Begovic and Ethan Ampadu kick off Green Football’s Great Save with secret charity shop kit drops around the country

Footballers across the UK are making surprise visits to charity shops, donating their own signed shirts and kit as part of Green Football’s Great Save. With around 100,000 tonnes of sportswear discarded in the UK each year, the initiative aims to promote reusing, donating, and upcycling – reducing waste and supporting local communities.

In the Marshall Islands, football is more than just a game. It is a fight for survival. The island nation, home to just 42,000 people, is battling rising sea levels threatening to wipe it off the map. Now, its football team is using the sport to send a message about climate change, starting with a kit that is vanishing before our eyes.

Every year, an estimated 100,000 tonnes of sportswear ends up in UK landfills. If this clothing were distributed among a packed crowd at Wembley Stadium (90,000 people), each person would receive over 2,500 pieces of clothing.