News / avon and somerset police
Police officer relaunches ‘football boots for all’ campaign
A Bristol police officer is relaunching a scheme to provide football boots for disadvantaged children in Bristol.
Police neighbourhood constable, Ryan Day, originally launched the scheme in 2021, after lockdown, to give more children in Bristol access to suitable football boots, which can often be expensive.
Ryan has now relaunched the scheme after its success, with 400 pairs of boots donated to families in need.
is needed now More than ever
Boots for Youth 2.0 began on Monday and will run throughout the summer holidays, with drop-off points for people to donate their old or unused football boots.
The boots can then be picked up by children who don’t have their own, so they can take part in football as well as other extra-curricular sports.
Ryan is the son of Bristol Rovers defender Graham Day, who died aged 67 in February 2021, after making 130 appearances for the team between 1974 and 1976.
Speaking in 2021, Ryan said his dad had started in grassroots football, and he wanted to give this opportunity to others.
PC Day explained: “Football boots can often run to around £100 a pair which is simply unaffordable for many families amid the current cost-of-living crisis.
“Kids’ feet grow so quickly that a pair of boots are often outgrown before they’ve reached the end of their useful life. This scheme is about giving another young person the opportunity to make use of them.
“I hope that the re-launch of the Boots for Youth Scheme will mean fewer boots thrown out and more young people able to take part in sports where they otherwise might have had to sit out.
“I think it’s a really simple way for families with unwanted boots to give back to the community and improve the lives of others.”
This time around, to maximise the life of the boots, the donations will be provided to a selection of local schools so that each has a ‘pool’ of boots available to borrow for the new school year.
People will be able to drop off their old boots at Keynsham, Patchway, Bridewell, Broadbury Road, Nailsea and Bridgewater Police station.
Main photo: Avon and Somerset Police
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