Year 12 Launch Young Enterprise Company – Boxy
Who are we?
Boxy is a Young Enterprise company run by Year 12’s at Kings Norton Girls’ School and Sixth Form. We are a Social Enterprise dedicated to reducing waste while promoting youth sports participation and are excited to announce the launch of our Football Boot Donation Program. This initiative aims to provide children in need with access to upcycled boots, ensuring they can participate in football regardless of financial constraints, because did you know:
- 4.4 million children are not able to participate in sports that interest them due to cost-of-living crisis.
- Nearly a 1/3of UK parents have said their children missed out on sport opportunities due to economic reason.
- With around 105,000children living in poverty in Birmingham their opportunities when it comes to sport and activities are limited.
- On average the cost of children’s football boots is around £70
- 22 billion pairs of shoes are thrown away a year with 33 million running shoes discarded in land waste.
- Each pair of sport shoes requires 2257 gallons of water.
- For one pair of sport shoes has approximately a carbon footprint of 14kg of CO2; this is equivalent to 17 pineapples!!
Our program will place donation bins at well-known sports venues including football pitches, local parks, and football club stadiums across Birmingham and Solihull. These bins will offer a convenient and eco-friendly way for individuals to donate old, outgrown or unused sports shoes. Our aim is to inspire people to contribute to this cause and help equip young children with the proper footwear they need to succeed in sports. We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to play sports, but financial barriers often prevent that from happening, by repurposing donated boots, we can help level the playing field and give kids the basics they need to be active, confident, and engaged in football and making sports accessible to all, regardless of their background or economic status.
How Boxy Works (The three ways to be involved!)
Donate: Drop off your old, outgrown, or unused football boots at our convenient donation bins, located at football pitches, local parks, and football club stadiums across Birmingham.
Exchange: Bring in your old boots and swap them for a pair of upcycled boots that fit. This ensures kids always have the right footwear as they grow, eliminating the need to buy new boots while reducing waste.
Buy Recycled Boots: Purchase a pair of high-quality, upcycled football boots at an affordable price. By choosing recycled boots, you’re not only saving money but also supporting a sustainable future.
On the 7th February, Boxy Boots had a fund raiser day. Students were allowed to come to school in their trainers and make a £1 donation or donate an old pair of football boots. In total we raised £397 and had 53 pairs of boots donated. Thank you to everyone who supported the event!
For any other information feel free to contact us at boxyboots@outlook.com or on Instagram @boxyboots