Recycling Week 2026: How the Community Kit Room is Breaking Down Barriers Across Blaenau Gwent
Recycling Week 2026 runs from the 14th to 20th September, and this year we’re celebrating how recycling and reuse can go beyond reducing waste – creating opportunities, supporting people and building stronger, more inclusive communities.
At Aneurin Leisure Trust, the Community Kit Room (CKR) is doing exactly that. Since launching in February 2023, what started as a single Community Kit Room in Abertillery has continued to grow, supporting children, adults and families across Blaenau Gwent with free sports clothing and footwear.
The CKR has now supported 820 people, with 1,767 items of sportswear distributed across the community. Since we began measuring donations in February 2025, 995.5kg of sports clothing and footwear has been recycled and reused, almost a tonne of sportswear items given a second life rather than going to waste.
There is no charge for any sports clothing or footwear, regardless of brand or condition. Whether brand new or pre-loved, the CKR aims to ensure that financial circumstances or access to suitable sportswear do not become barriers to taking part in sport and physical activity.
More Than Just Sportswear
The Community Kit Room is about people, inclusion and opportunity. Families can donate clothing and footwear their children have outgrown, while children trying a new sport can access suitable kit without the financial pressure of buying everything upfront.
The CKR has also supported people experiencing challenging circumstances, including those facing unemployment, homelessness and financial pressures. Sometimes it provides help when it is needed most, whether replacing football boots that have broken during training, finding a forgotten swimming costume or providing suitable clothing for an activity.
Whatever the reason, the overall objective is simple: to remove barriers and make sure more people have the opportunity to participate.
Taking the Message Further
A major highlight this year was being invited to Birmingham in July to attend the prestigious IWG Women & Sport Global Summit. The Summit brought together more than 900 people from around the world, united by the belief that women and girls deserve equal opportunities through sport and physical activity.
It was a fantastic platform to showcase the impact of the Community Kit Room, highlight the work taking place in Blaenau Gwent and share how a local initiative can help break down barriers to participation. It was also an opportunity to connect with people from across the world, exchange ideas and be inspired by others working to create greater opportunities through sport.
It has been equally inspiring to see similar Community Kit Room initiatives being developed in surrounding local authorities. As the idea continues to grow, more people across Wales can benefit from access to free sports clothing and footwear, while more kit is kept in use rather than going to waste.
Adam Hughes, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Development Officer for the Sports Development Team, said:
"The Community Kit Room is built around inclusion and making sure children and adults have the opportunity to take part in sport and physical activity without unnecessary barriers standing in their way. It is incredibly inspiring to see similar initiatives being developed in surrounding local authorities, because it means more people across Wales can benefit from this approach. We are proud that something which started within our community is now helping to inspire others, and the opportunity to showcase our work at the IWG Women & Sport Global Summit demonstrated just how much impact a local initiative can have."
A Community Effort
The continued success of the CKR would not be possible without the support of organisations, businesses, schools, sports clubs and communities across Blaenau Gwent. Partnerships with organisations including Families First, Social Services, Youth Services, Tai Calon Community Housing, Mountain Fuel and StreetGames Wales, alongside support from the Blaenau Gwent Waste and Recycling Team, have helped the initiative reach more people.
Businesses have run sporting campaigns for staff and donated unwanted sportswear, while schools have held sports-themed days and donation drives. Professional athletes, teams and National Governing Bodies have also supported the appeal and helped raise awareness through donations.
The Community Kit Room has received recognition for its impact, winning the StreetGames South Wales Mental Health & Wellbeing Award in 2023 and being named runner-up in the Community Impact Award at the BASIS Sustainable Sports Awards in 2024.
Keep the Cycle Going
The Community Kit Room shows that recycling and reuse can be about much more than waste. A pair of football boots can help a child join their team, a swimming costume can ensure someone doesn't miss their session, and an unwanted piece of sports clothing can make a real difference to someone else.
This Recycling Week, we’re proud to celebrate the 820 people supported, 1,767 items distributed and 995.5kg of sports clothing and footwear recycled and reused since February 2025.
If you have sports clothing or footwear at home that you no longer use, give it a second life. Donations can be made through our donation and recycling bins located at our sports centres, libraries, partnered schools, local sports clubs, Tai Calon Community Housing in Blaina and community houses across Blaenau Gwent.
Together, we can reduce waste, break down barriers and help make sport and physical activity accessible to everyone across Blaenau Gwent.
For more information about the Community Kit Room and how you can get involved, click here
