A group of high school pupils aim to tackle climate change by hosting a ‘shirt swap event’ at Bloomfield Road
Overview:
Here at Blackpool FC Community Trust (BFCCT) we provide High School Pupil across the town the opportunity to take part in our Premier League (PL) funded ‘Inspires’ programme. The programme aims to provide pupils support with their mental health and resilience, whilst improving other important life skills such as communication and organisation. During the programme pupils are presented the opportunity to partake in the ‘Premier League Inspires Challenge’. Here pupils work in small groups to formulate an idea and plan how to tackle the issue presented to them by the PL. This year the PL set young people the challenge of making the local football club a more environmentally friendly place.
The PL Inspires Challenge:
Having worked hard to develop their ideas with their BFCCT High School Hub Mentors, pupils from across the town presented their ideas at the PL Inspires Challenge event at Bloomfield Road itself. The event held in February involved scholars, students from the Blackpool FC Sports College and Blackpool FC’s Academy judging their entries.
Blackpool FC Academy players taking the opportunity to engage in discussions with participants focusing on environmental issues.
The winning idea:
Pupils from Armfield Academy wowed staff and scholars at the event in February with their ‘Shirt Swap’ idea. Here’s a quote from the pupils entry form, about what their idea is and why it is needed in their local community.
‘Our idea is to create a ‘shirt swap shop’. We want to collect old football shirts that people no longer want or need, or maybe have outgrown. We want to do this because football shirts can often cost quite a lot of money, and people may not have the spare money available to buy these. We have done some research and found that a Blackpool FC junior shirt costs £35. We would like to be able to offer these shirts out so that everyone has the opportunity to own a football shirt and support their team’. We plan to have collection bins in our local schools, and at Blackpool FC Club Shop so that people can drop off their old shirts, helping others in the local community whilst preventing shirts ending up in local landfill sites’
‘Our social action project will not only make a difference to the people of Blackpool, and their families lives but we will also be making the football club more environmentally friendly, as we will be swapping shirts that would have otherwise been thrown away. This will help wastage in the long term and encourage people to reuse old goods. We also pledge that any proceeds from the swap shop event go towards planting in local community gardens to support the natural environment.’
How can you support them?:
On Saturday 30th April 2022 from 12 noon we are supporting the pupils in hosting their very own ‘Swap Shop’ here at Blackpool FC’s Education and Community Centre. Here are some things you can do to help……
Please donate any unwanted football shirt(s) at Blackpool FC Club Shop between Monday 25th & Thursday 28th April.
On the day of the event, come and visit the Swap Shop at the Education and Community Centre (opposite Stan Mortensen Statue) and exchange your unwanted football shirts free of charge or make a small donation to purchase one (minimum suggested donation £5).
Attending the event gets you free entry into the raffle where you can be in with a chance to win many amazing prizes including a Blackpool FC signed ball.
Finally:
The pupils look forward to welcoming fans and local community members on the day and all your shirt donations prior and during the event. Thank you in advance for supporting them in their mission to make Blackpool and the Football Club a more environmentally friendly place.
