Inclusion.
Access.
Sustainability.

At The Pass Back Project, we believe that sport has the power to change lives, build confidence, unite communities, and create opportunity — no matter where in the world a child is born. Our mission is to collect and redistribute pre-loved sports kit, footwear, and equipment to underprivileged communities worldwide, while tackling the growing global crisis of sportswear and textile waste.

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Every year, millions of perfectly usable football boots, shirts, trainers, and sports items are discarded simply because they are no longer fashionable, no longer fit, or have been replaced by newer models. Globally, the world produces an estimated 92 million tonnes of textile waste annually, much of which ends up in landfill or is incinerated. In Europe alone, nearly 7 million tonnes of textile waste are generated each year, with the majority still ending up in mixed household waste streams rather than being reused or recycled.

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Sportswear presents an even greater environmental challenge. Modern sports clothing and footwear are often made using synthetic materials such as polyester, nylon, and rubber, which can take decades — even centuries — to break down. Around 24 billion pairs of shoes are produced every year, yet only a small percentage are ever recycled. Meanwhile, vast quantities of wearable clothing and equipment are thrown away despite still having enormous value to someone else.

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At the same time, countless children and young athletes across developing communities lack access to even the most basic sports gear. For many, the cost of football boots, shin pads, balls, or team kits places participation in sport completely out of reach. This inequality limits not only sporting opportunity, but also the wider benefits that sport provides — teamwork, education, physical health, discipline, inclusion, and hope.

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The Pass Back Project exists to bridge that gap.

By giving unwanted sportswear a second life, we aim to create a sustainable cycle of reuse that benefits both people and the planet. Every donated shirt, pair of boots, goalkeeper glove, or training cone represents more than just equipment — it represents opportunity. Opportunity for a child to join a team. Opportunity for a community to build grassroots sport. Opportunity for young people to dream bigger.

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We are committed to reducing waste, promoting environmental responsibility, and making sport more accessible worldwide. Through partnerships with schools, clubs, teams, local organisations, and communities, we seek to ensure that quality sports equipment reaches the people who need it most instead of ending up in landfill.

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At its heart, The Pass Back Project is built on a simple belief: what is no longer needed by one player could mean everything to another.

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Together, we can pass the game forward — creating a fairer, more sustainable future through the universal language of sport.