Latest news with #Kitback
Scottish Sun
28-04-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Football charity encourages Scots to donate old kits to help vulnerable people
A FOOTBALL charity hopes fans get a kick out of their new scheme – selling retro kits to help bring vulnerable people into the beautiful game. Street Soccer yesterday announced the launch of Kitback, a new project taking advantage of the popularity of old strips to raise much-needed funds. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 David Duke MBE founded Street Soccer Scotland 16 years ago. Credit: Andrew Barr 2 It's hoped the scheme will help thousands of people. Credit: Andrew Barr People can donate their pre-loved shirts at dedicated drop-off points or by post which will then be upcycled and sold with one kit supporting a for a whole month. Founder David Duke launched the charity 16 years ago after living in shelters and has since helped more than 25,000 folk going through their own struggles, such as addiction, homelessness, mental health and poverty. The charity boss, 45, said: 'We're currently in an environment where there's funding cuts at various levels and when you try to align the demand on your services with funding cuts, it doesn't really work. 'For us, rather than standing still and reducing services, it was about how we could be a wee bit more proactive to raise funds. Every time we get a shirt donated, that effectively allows somebody to come to Street Soccer for a month. 'When someone donates a kit or buys a kit, it unlocks an opportunity. The key thing for us is to make it affordable and all the money and every bit of profit goes towards supporting Street Soccer.' The initiative has already been backed by football clubs and businesses all over the UK. Fulham FC Foundation has become the first professional club to donate to Kitback with others set to follow suit in the coming weeks and months. Anyone who donates a kit is also added to the newsletter list so they can see the real impact of their kindness. David said: 'At the Euros I must have bought about three or four different Scotland shirts but how often do I wear them? They're just sitting there. 'Rather than clogging up your space, they could do a lot of good if donated. Not everybody can afford to support charities with cash. We need to realise that the cost-of-living crisis is affecting everybody and that this is just as valuable. 'It can create a circular economy with zero waste too. There's going to be loads of accessible drop-off points. And again, the great thing about it when you drop it off is that we'll keep a note here. What does Rangers takeover mean for the club - finance expert speaks out 'We'll add you to the supporters' group so that every six months we'll produce an impact report saying how much donated kit we've received and how much money. 'It's about building a relationship with the people who actually give it to you. We just don't want to say thanks for that, see you later. We want to bring people on the journey and share what we're trying to do. Even just one football shirt being kept in play for nine months is a 30 per cent decrease in its carbon emission. 'It's a win for the people and it's a win for the planet. And it's not often you get the opportunity to achieve that.' David hopes the project proves to be a major success and that it'll help support more people who need their help. He'd love for the issues facing folk to go away and for nobody to be struggling. But he's ready to fill the gap that other services aren't providing until then. The website to buy retro shirts goes live next month and he is calling on people to get involved and make a difference. He said: 'Street Soccer was based on my own experience of how football can help you navigate through difficult times. "I was a young person living in a homeless hostel in Glasgow and football was like a rope that pulled me out of a dark hole. FOOTIE FREEDOM BRIAN Pearson credits Street Scotland with helping him beat addiction and find hope through football. The volunteer, 49, takes weekly training sessions for the charity after being put through his UEFA coaching badges. He's now an integral part of the charity and works with players from the age of 16 up to pensioners – including his own son Ruari, 17, and dad Brian Sr, 68. Brian, from Bellshill, North Lanarkshire, said: 'It's about working together to get the best out of everybody. It's not so much games, it's more just fun. Street Soccer is about supporting and promoting teamwork. You feel like you're part of a family.' The coach, who had two spinal surgeries, added: 'I'm trying to get as far as I can with the walking stick. I don't have any feeling in my left leg. It's totally numb with the nerve damage and the pain can be phenomenal. 'But my purpose is to see the smile on my guys and lassies' faces on a Monday at the session. It's amazing and it sets you up for the rest of the week.' 'The bigger Street Soccer becomes, it shows that there's still things that need to be fixed in our society. Like making sure people have the opportunity to be part of something and have access to mental health services. 'We're plugging quite a lot of gaps so I think the ambition for Street Soccer - and it's been the same ever since day one - is that there's somebody out there who might be struggling, disconnected or cut off needing some sort of support service. 'But they maybe don't know how to access it because they're isolated. Our strategy is the same every day - there's somebody out there who needs our support and how do we find them? 'This new project is exciting. We're not just doing it because we think it's a good idea, we're doing it because we need to do something. 'There's people there who need support and this is an easy way for anyone to help. I think 99 per cent of society wants to make the world a better place, it's just about how we can help them do that.' Follow Kitback on Instagram for more info.
Glasgow Times
28-04-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Football kit donation project Kitback launched in Glasgow
Street Soccer Scotland's 'Kitback' campaign, launched today (Monday, April 28), is looking for people to swap their cash donations for old football kits. The charity's founder, David Duke, from Govan, said: 'Glasgow's got such a rich footballing history, and every fan probably has old football tops or shorts gathering dust in a cupboard. 'Every kit has a story and heritage behind it, and we don't want to see them go to a dump and go in the landfill. 'With 'Kitback', we're looking to give these strips a new lease of life, and either be used by one of the players on our teams or sold to raise vital funds to help them – if you give us a shirt, then we can turn it into a donation. (Image: Jeff Holmes) 'It saves them from going to waste and is better for the environment, so it's very much a win-win, you can protect the planet and help people at the same time. 'Times are tough just now, and this is a way we can ask people to help those in need without spending any money. 'It's about 'old strips with new goals', and is more than just a campaign; it's a movement that brings together our shared passion for football and our collective commitment to helping our local communities." Football shirts have risen in popularity in recent years, becoming both a fashion statement and a fan's matchday staple. Street Soccer is looking to cash in on the trend with some tops being sold online for hundreds of pounds. READ NEXT: Celtic legend's famous football tops expected to make £100,000 at auction | Glasgow Times Kitback will have donated shirts for sale, and says that buying from them helps people while adding a new kit to your collection. David shared his enthusiasm for having a good show of shirts from his hometown: 'I'd love to see us get shirts from all over the city, from Partick Thistle to Pollok and Rangers to Celtic, I'd love to see loads of kits from Glasgow.' English Premier League team Fulham FC have donated full strips, and Street Soccer hopes to see more clubs get involved. The charity was started in 2009 by David, who was homeless for three years and played for Scotland in the Homeless World Cup. He then worked in the homeless sector, helping those in need, and launched the charity to provide others with the benefits he gained from football. (Image: Jeff Holmes) David explained: 'I wanted to create something to offer other people what I got from football. 'It gives you community without judgement, a pillar of support, and people you can rely on for those who feel isolated or are going through a difficult time. 'People need to feel hope, and living in this environment means people are faced with a lack of it. 'Football, being part of a team, offers that hope and a sense of belief and community they need. "They also get access to other support services through us so that we can help them without expectations, only reassurance that we are here to inspire them to be all they can be.' (Image: Jeff Holmes) Street Soccer started with a drop-in session in Townhead in the city centre and has now expanded to 63 projects running every week. The charity has helped over 25,000 people since it was launched 16 years ago. David said that demands on their services are increasing all the time, and cuts to funding mean they're looking to raise funds in different ways. To get involved and donate your old tops, visit
Glasgow Times
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
Celtic pub targeted by far-right demonstrators in 'disgraceful' attack
Far-right agitators targeted a gathering of Celtic supporters at a Dublin pub on Saturday where fans were celebrating the Hoops' win against Dundee United that secured the Premiership title. An anti-immigration demonstration had been scheduled to conclude near to the James Connelly pub in Custom House Quay and, according to the 1803 Celtic Supporters Club, around 35 to 50 people from the event then entered the building. Those in attendance at the social gathering asked the supporters of the demonstration to leave, but the club said demonstrators launched a 'physical attack on supporters' and fired 'horrendous racial abuse' at non-Irish members of staff and management. READ NEXT: John Swinney calls for Kneecap to be cut from Glasgow's TRNSMT READ NEXT: Football kit donation project Kitback launched in Glasgow The agitators were eventually removed from the property by Celtic supporters while management and staff secured the entrance, closing the venue to the public until it was safe to re-open. The Spirit of 1803 Celtic Supporters Club has said in a statement it condemns the display of 'bigotry and hatred'. The statement read: 'Celtic FC is a renowned football club, established in 1887 based on the principles of support for impoverished immigrants and refuge seekers. Celtic FC is also a community of international solidarity, there is an estimated international support base of over nine million supporters (2003) across over 160 Celtic Supporters Clubs established in over 20 countries worldwide. 'There is no place for racism, fascism, anti-immigrant support or even sentiment, regardless of the socio-economic or political climate in the ethos of the spirit of being a true Celtic FC supporter. 'We abhor the attack in Dublin on our club's supporters as much as we abhor the message that the Dublin demonstration heralded, and we appeal to those suffering under trying economic circumstances not to be duped by opportunistic political agitators with a far-right narrative. 'They do not have the solution to your problems, or the will to strategise one if all they have to offer is placing blame upon the world's weakest people, refuge seekers.' The demonstration had been earlier chanting 'Get Them Out' in reference to forced mass deportation and anti-Palestinian solidarity slogans with Israeli flags openly on display. James Connolly, the Irish socialist, republican and leader of the 1916 Easter Rising was himself an economic immigrant from Scotland.
STV News
28-04-2025
- Sport
- STV News
Football charity launches recycled football kit initiative
Award winning football charity Street Soccer has launched a new initiative involving upcycled football shirts. Kitback will collect pre-owned football shirts from donors at dedicated drop-off points or by post and upcycle them in preparation for resale. The shirts will then be put up for sale and all proceeds will go towards supporting people suffering from homelessness, poor mental health, social exclusion, substance use and poverty. The charity, which has had kits donated from English Premier League side Fulham FC, is urging people to donate their old kits to 'empower peoples lives'. STV News Brian Pearson has been involved in Street Soccer for four years. Street Soccer founder, David Duke, from Govan, said: 'Kitback is more than just a campaign; it's a movement that brings together our shared passion for football and our collective commitment to helping our local communities. 'Football has a unique ability to unite people behind social causes and through Kitback, supporters can make a real difference. 'By donating your pre-loved football shirts and buying from Kitback when adding a new kit to your collection, you're not only reducing environmental waste but also helping to empower and enrich people's lives through everything we do at Street Soccer.' Street Soccer started with a drop-in session in Townhead in Glasgow city centre in 2009 and has now expanded to 63 projects running every week. The charity has helped over 25,000 people since it was launched 16 years ago, including Brian Pearson, who struggled with addiction for 20 years before the initiative 'gave him a purpose'. 'I think the guys and girls that come to our sessions, they suffer the same problems, the same issues, and whether it be isolation, mental health, addiction and so with that having, you know, the same issues as these guys, it helped me go forward', the 49-year-old said. 'I used tricks that they knew, how to keep yourself clean, how to keep yourself motivated and when Street Soccer said to me, don't worry about your mobility, move onto the coaching side of things, it seems to have worked well for myself. 'I'm still involved, heavily involved. It's such a sense of community. When you're at Street Soccer, you feel a connection with the team. 'Street Soccer has given me a purpose, but it's time for me to push the rest. 'What I'm doing is available for everyone. There's no limits and you may think you can't, but you can. It's there on a weekly basis, there's thousands of players now.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
The Herald Scotland
28-04-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Football kit donation project Kitback launched in Glasgow
The charity's founder, David Duke, from Govan, said: 'Glasgow's got such a rich footballing history, and every fan probably has old football tops or shorts gathering dust in a cupboard. 'Every kit has a story and heritage behind it, and we don't want to see them go to a dump and go in the landfill. 'With 'Kitback', we're looking to give these strips a new lease of life, and either be used by one of the players on our teams or sold to raise vital funds to help them – if you give us a shirt, then we can turn it into a donation. (Image: Jeff Holmes) 'It saves them from going to waste and is better for the environment, so it's very much a win-win, you can protect the planet and help people at the same time. 'Times are tough just now, and this is a way we can ask people to help those in need without spending any money. 'It's about 'old strips with new goals', and is more than just a campaign; it's a movement that brings together our shared passion for football and our collective commitment to helping our local communities." Football shirts have risen in popularity in recent years, becoming both a fashion statement and a fan's matchday staple. Street Soccer is looking to cash in on the trend with some tops being sold online for hundreds of pounds. Read More Kitback will have donated shirts for sale, and says that buying from them helps people while adding a new kit to your collection. David shared his enthusiasm for having a good show of shirts from his hometown: 'I'd love to see us get shirts from all over the city, from Partick Thistle to Pollok and Rangers to Celtic, I'd love to see loads of kits from Glasgow.' English Premier League team Fulham FC have donated full strips, and Street Soccer hopes to see more clubs get involved. The charity was started in 2009 by David, who was homeless for three years and played for Scotland in the Homeless World Cup. He then worked in the homeless sector, helping those in need, and launched the charity to provide others with the benefits he gained from football. (Image: Jeff Holmes) David explained: 'I wanted to create something to offer other people what I got from football. 'It gives you community without judgement, a pillar of support, and people you can rely on for those who feel isolated or are going through a difficult time. 'People need to feel hope, and living in this environment means people are faced with a lack of it. 'Football, being part of a team, offers that hope and a sense of belief and community they need. "They also get access to other support services through us so that we can help them without expectations, only reassurance that we are here to inspire them to be all they can be.' (Image: Jeff Holmes) Street Soccer started with a drop-in session in Townhead in the city centre and has now expanded to 63 projects running every week. The charity has helped over 25,000 people since it was launched 16 years ago. David said that demands on their services are increasing all the time, and cuts to funding mean they're looking to raise funds in different ways. To get involved and donate your old tops, visit
