Hemel Adventure Playgrounds, or The Adventures as they are affectionately known, are secure sites that children from eight upwards can attend. They can come and go as they please. No parents required. The children can climb on play equipment, play football, jump on a trampoline and generally be active. They are manned by a caring team of staff who are there to advise and oversee activities. And it’s all free!

We’ve helped out with sports shoes at a couple of The Adventures. After providing a number of football and astro boots to some of the children, one of the staff members said these children were now playing football on the astro turf pitch. This in turn had given some of them the confidence to join in football games at school. And a couple of children were looking at joining a team outside of school.

The trainers we provided were also a great hit. Some of the recipients went through trainers so quickly, due to rapidly growing feet, that their parents couldn’t afford to keep buying them bigger pairs. The children were wearing ill fitting and worn out shoes. One staff member said, “It was so lovely to see their faces when we provided them with some fancy trainers.” And one of the children couldn’t believe he could keep the trainers. He thought he could only borrow them when he was at The Adventure. He was beaming when he walked out the door with his newly acquired trainers tucked under his arm.

Athletics spikes are something we don’t receive many of, but they are just as much in demand as other sports shoes. At Adeyfield Academy in Hemel, the PE teacher told us about a particular girl who is hard on herself and sometimes lacks confidence to compete in her athletics discipline. She was overjoyed at having a pair of spikes she could call her own. It means she isn't losing vital seconds by slipping back in trainers. She can compete on equal terms with others and discover her true potential. It’s inspired her to take her passion out of school and join a local athletics club.

Another student had been looking at quitting altogether, but getting his own pair of spikes has really given him a new lease of life in his athletics. He has already broken an indoor school record this year and is keen to break more in the summer. His PE teacher told us it, “was a really lovely sight to see him proudly pull out his own spikes at the track and head off to warm up, instead of digging through the spares bag”.

Two of the problems facing those living on the streets are issues with mental health and the boredom that each day brings. New Hope is a charity based in Watford that supports people who are experiencing homelessness and works with them to address their problems. One gentleman who they used to support, would walk from Watford to Hatfield and back, every day, to both overcome his boredom and to help improve his mental health. So at New Hope’s support centre - The Haven - staff regularly see people arriving with trainers that are falling apart. Trainers that have had more use than they normally would, on people who can't afford another pair.

We were glad we could step in to offer a small respite to the day to day living of those on the streets, by delivering 42 pairs of trainers to them.

Meeting on a Friday afternoon, Active Luton have been organising a football and employability project to help refugees in the area. But the refugees didn’t have any trainers to play indoor football in. They were playing in bare feet. So we stepped in and dropped off 23 pairs for the group so they could enjoy their football session without damaging their feet.

The sessions are a great opportunity to help the group stay active, as well as having the benefit of helping to manage their mental health in uncertain times.

“I can't thank you enough for your generous support in providing footwear to the asylum seekers. Your contribution has made a significant difference, brightening the days of many who are navigating mental health challenges,” said Amran Malik, Community Projects Manager at Active Luton

Chiltern Way Academy caters for students with Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs (SEMH) and Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC). PE lessons at the school are a great benefit to these students. It can help with their attention span, their self esteem and their cognitive functions. It is also a platform for some students to excel, which in turn increases their confidence in other subjects.

Many of the students don’t have the right footwear - students turn up to play football with only their school shoes, and on the rainy day that we turned up, one boy had turned up to his PE lesson with a hole in his trainers. Functional sports shoes are a priority, which is why when Joel, one of the PE teachers at the school, reached out to us, we delivered 97 pairs to the school.

On International Women’s Day, we dropped in to a girls football tournament to deliver some free football boots. Organised by Dacorum School Sports Network, there were around 500 primary school aged girls from across Dacorum. Many had never played football before, so it was a great opportunity to introduce the game to them and a chance for them to play in a supportive environment. 

We found some girls playing in school shoes. Others only had trainers, which meant they were sliding around in the mud. So we distributed football boots to those that needed them. We talked to teachers who ran girls football at their school. Some told us they’d started a girls football club at their school, but didn’t have enough girls to form a team. They were hoping the day would encourage more girls to play, as well as boost the girls’ confidence.

It was a successful day, with lots of laughter, fun and, for some, a new found activity that they were keen to continue, along with their new(ish) boots.