Cumbria CVS Green Blog No 30 – August 2026
August 11, 2026
Welcome back to Cumbria CVS Green!
In our thirtieth blog post Gill, one of the founders of Re:Play Sports Network, talks about their ambition to give every piece of sports kit another life through reuse, repurposing and responsible recycling.
If you have any suggestions about what you’d like to see in our regular updates, let us know! Contact us by emailing info@cumbriacvs.org.uk
You can find our what we’re doing to minimise our environmental impact and find details of organisations supporting positive environmental action in Cumbria on our Climate Commitment page here
Catch up on our other blog posts here
Starting with football boots – but thinking much bigger
I love football. I always have and always will.
For me, it is much more than a game. Football creates friendships, confidence, identity and belonging. It brings people and communities together in a way few other things can. But loving the sport also means being willing to look honestly at some of the challenges surrounding it -including the amount of equipment we discard and the rising cost of participation for families.
As one of the founders of Re:Play Sports Network, I want to help football become part of the solution.
We are starting with football boots: a familiar, everyday object that children often outgrow long before it is worn out. But our ambition is much broader. We want to use sport to open up conversations about sustainability, affordability, responsible consumption and the circular economy, and, crucially, turn those conversations into practical action.
A familiar problem
There is probably a pair of unused football boots sitting somewhere near you, in a cupboard, garage, under a bed or abandoned in a kit bag.
Parents are often left wondering what to do with boots that no longer fit. They are too good to throw away, but without a simple way to pass them on, that is often where they eventually end up.
It is estimated that around 13 million pairs of football boots go into landfill in the UK each year. At the same time, the cost of replacing sports equipment can create a genuine barrier for families.
That contradiction is difficult to ignore: usable equipment is being discarded while other children and young people may be unable to participate because they cannot afford what they need.
Football boots are also extremely difficult to recycle because they are made from a complex mixture of materials. Independent work undertaken with Northumbria University confirmed that, with current technology, keeping boots in use for longer is the most effective immediate way to reduce their environmental impact.
So that is where we are beginning: collecting pre-loved boots, extending their useful life and preventing as many as possible from becoming waste.
Making sustainability meaningful
I spent a large part of my career working in education, psychology, leadership and sustainability. That experience has taught me that simply giving people information rarely changes behaviour. Lasting change is much more likely when an issue connects with their lives, and they feel able to do something about it.
A football boot makes the circular economy tangible.
Young people understand what it is like to outgrow something or want the newest version. From there, we can begin asking bigger questions. Where did the materials come from? What happens when the boots are thrown away? Could someone else use them? How might we buy, use and consume differently?
Our education programme is therefore at the heart of Re:Play Sports Network. We want to work with schools, clubs and community organisations to help young people understand waste, reuse and responsible consumption in a way that feels relevant, practical and hopeful.
We have already begun delivering sessions in schools and have reached around 50 children. Approximately 1,000 pairs of boots have also been collected.
We have started with football because it is widely played and generates a significant amount of discarded kit. However, our longer-term vision extends beyond football to clothing and equipment from other sports.
The bigger question is not simply, “What can we do with old football boots?” It is, “How can sport help us rethink waste, value and access?”
Building the network
The word “Network” in our name is important. We cannot achieve this alone.
We need schools and sports clubs that can engage young people and families, community organisations that understand local needs, businesses willing to share expertise and resources, and volunteers and partners who can help us reach more communities.
This is why I was delighted to meet recently with Development Officers from Cumbria CVS. Their response was warm and enthusiastic, and our conversation quickly turned to the people and organisations across Cumbria who might connect with what we are trying to achieve.
At this stage, we are keen to listen and learn. We do not want to arrive with a fixed model or duplicate good work already taking place. We want to build relationships, understand different communities and explore how Re:Play Sports Network could add genuine value.
Significant change often starts with something small. In our case, it may begin with one pair of boots: donated rather than discarded, helping another person access sport and starting a conversation about sustainability.
We are starting with football boots – but we are thinking much bigger.
Re:Play Sports Network would love to hear from schools, sports clubs, voluntary and community organisations, businesses and individuals interested in supporting, connecting with or learning more about the initiative.
Find out more at replaysportsnetwork or email me directly – gill@replaysportsnetwork.org
National Allotments Week 2026
10th – 16th August. National Allotments Week, is held every August, celebrating the incredible benefits of allotment gardening for individuals, families, and communities.
This year’s theme is “Grow to Learn,” highlighting the educational, personal development, and well-being benefits of spending time on the plot.
Conversation café and slow cycle
Saturday 15 August, Carlisle. A slow cycle ride through the streets (route tbc) hosted by Sustainable Carlisle with a chat at a local food and drink establishment.
The conversation is informal, but it is around a set theme / agenda to gather your thoughts and focus your attention.
Brampton and Fellside Repair Cafe
Saturday 29th August, Brampton. Have items gathering dust that need repairing?
From electrical items to clothes, repair cafes use volunteers to run informal and friendly events where you can save items from landfill.
Environmental and sustainability policy workshop
Thursday 3rd September, online. This workshop will cover the importance of having an environmental and sustainability policy, how to write one, and how to implement effective action plans.
It’s designed to help organisations adopt environmentally sustainable practices and understand their impact on the environment.
Find out more and book your place here
Cartmel Peninsula Repair Cafe
Friday 4th September, Grange-over-Sands. Our wonderful volunteer repairers will also offer textile repairs, zips, darning etc, electronics repairs, repairs of mechanical, wood and metal items, plus electrical repairs.
There will also be refreshments!
Alston Repair Cafe
Saturday 5th September, Alston. Alston Moor Repair Mill is held on the first Saturday of the month.
Bring an item in and the skilled volunteers will gladly take a look.
The easiest access to High Mill Factory is from the path at the back of the Co-op car park in Alston or past Cobbles Café on Market Square and right up the hill. For anyone who knows the town, you can find it at the foot of the Hill House Bank steps.
Carlisle Repair Cafe
Saturday 5th September, Carlisle. Have items gathering dust that need repairing?
From electrical items to clothes, repair cafes use volunteers to run informal and friendly events where you can save items from landfill.
Ulverston Repair Cafe
Tuesday 8th September, Ulverston. Have items gathering dust that need repairing?
From electrical items to clothes, repair cafes use volunteers to run informal and friendly events where you can save items from landfill.
Kendal Repair Cafe
Thursday 10th September, Kendal. Have items gathering dust that need repairing?
From electrical items to clothes, repair cafes use volunteers to run informal and friendly events where you can save items from landfill.
Environmental and sustainability policy workshop
Tuesday 22nd September, online.
This workshop will cover the importance of having an environmental and sustainability policy, how to write one, and how to implement effective action plans.
Find out more and book your place!
Gardens Trust Community Grants
Amount available: up to £10,000
Deadline: Friday 16th October
Grants are available for charities and other voluntary organisations across the UK to deliver projects and activities that improve, enhance, and support historic designed landscapes.
Priority will be given to seed-funding/pump-priming for a sustainable activity, such as a restoration plan, Friends group set-up costs, research projects, or volunteer training schemes.
Projects that reflect the Gardens Trust’s priorities in conservation, knowledge sharing, and the encouragement of inclusive participation and enjoyment of historic designed landscapes are particularly welcomed.
Preference will be given to projects that will be completed within 18 months of the application.
Funding can be used to cover both capital and revenue projects.
Find out more about Gardens Trust Community Grants here
Research charity transfers £120m from bank over sustainability concerns
A research and innovation foundation has moved £120m, more than a quarter of its assets, out of a bank after deciding it is incompatible with its sustainability goals.
Nesta Trust announced last month that it had transferred the sum from Northern Trust to Amundi as part of its commitment to reduce carbon emissions.
The Nesta Trust, which manages and governs the endowment that funds research and innovation charity Nesta, said in a statement its decision was a “direct consequence” of Northern Trust recently withdrawing from two global climate initiatives.
National Lottery Awards for All England – Environment
Amount available: £300 to £20,000
Deadline: Not specified
The climate and nature emergency affects us all, but local action can make a real difference. We fund community-led projects that improve the environment and help people connect with and enjoy nature where they live.
We fund projects that meet one of the following priorities:
- help people connect with and care for nature in their area
- make a positive difference to the environment
You can use the funding to:
- start a new activity or continue an existing one
- help your organisation adapt to new challenges
- run one-off events that have a clear environmental benefit
You cannot apply if you already have an Awards for All grant.
Find out more about National Lottery Awards for All England – Environment here
W F Southall Trust
Amount available: £1,000 – £5,000
Deadline: Friday 11th September. However, this fund may close early if oversubscribed.
The scheme is intended to support registered charities in the UK that are undertaking charitable projects in:
- Environmental Action and Sustainability
Find out more about W F Southall Trust here
International Tree Foundation – UK Community Tree Planting Programme
Amount available: Grants are available for community woodlands/hedging projects that range from 100 – 10,000 trees planted per year, with a maximum price equivalent to £2.15 per tree (inclusive of tree protection and mulch).
In addition, these projects also receive two maintenance grants equivalent to £0.10 per tree, disbursed in the first and second summers after planting.
Deadline: Friday 11th December
The UK Community Tree Planting Programme supports projects run by community groups and voluntary organisations that engage communities in planting and caring for native species of trees.
The Programme supports community projects that will:
- Conserve, restore and protect indigenous trees and woodlands, forests, habitats and associated biodiversity.
- Support community engagement in tree planting to promote reforestation and to increase awareness of the importance of trees and forests to environmental and human well-being.
- Encourage social cohesion and inclusion.
Community-based organisations, such as a school, community group, social enterprise, non-governmental organisation, or parish council, can apply.
Find out more about International Tree Foundation – UK Community Tree Planting Programme here
Food Cumberland Harvest Fest
Amount available: £150
Deadline: Sunday 13th September
Celebrate local food, eat sustainably, and bring your community together this autumn.
Every autumn, communities across the UK come together to mark the end of the growing season – enjoying local produce, the chance to gather, share food, and spend time with neighbours. It’s a great way to reconnect with the land and each other- whether that’s through cooking, growing, or simply sharing a meal.
Thanks to support from the Food Cumberland Partnership, community groups can now apply for funding to bring a Harvest Fest event to life in Autumn 2026 – with food-based fun that feeds both bellies and community spirit.
Find out more about Food Cumberland Harvest Fest here
Green social prescribing practitioner guidance
The National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP) has published new Green social prescribing practitioner guidance, created in partnership with Thrive and the cross-government green social prescribing programme.
The guidance is aimed at groups and organisations who provide nature-based interventions that support people’s mental health – for example, community gardening programmes, local walking schemes, conservation volunteering, outdoor arts and culture, wild swimming and green gyms, among others.
Rewilding Britain – Rewilding Innovation Fund
Amount available: up to £15,000
Deadline: Saturday 6th September
This fund aims to foster new and ambitious community rewilding projects, and to remove barriers to rewilding projects within Britain, whether they’re at the early planning stages or want to move a project one step wilder. Funding will be awarded to projects with potential for the highest impact for people and nature.
To apply for funding, projects must be:
- Based in Britain
- Part of the Rewilding Network (includes community, private and public landowners, and managers of rewilding areas on the land and at sea).
- Rewilding at scale (more than 40 hectares) according to Rewilding Britain’s rewilding principles. This can be an individual landholding or a cluster of landholdings. It is recommended that applicants who are rewilding on a smaller scale form a group or network to apply.
Local groups and networks can also apply for any innovative projects that will help to upscale rewilding.
Funding is for works that could potentially unlock further funding or move a project in scale.
Examples of potential applications include:
- Business plans and strategies.
- Community engagement activities or co-design.
- Feasibility studies.
- Technological innovations.
Find out more about Rewilding Britain – Rewilding Innovation Fund here
Woodland Trust – Free trees for schools and communities
Amount available: n/a
Deadline: August
Our free packs come in eight different species mixes of 15, 30, 105 or 420 saplings to accommodate every project and give everyone chance to plant a tree. Whether you’re growing an outdoor classroom, sheltering a sports pitch or transforming your neighbourhood, get involved and make a real difference for people and nature where you live, work or play.
Find out more about Woodland Trust – Free trees for schools and communities here
Grocers’ Charity Grant
Amount available: up to £5,000
Deadline: Saturday 15th August
One-off grants for UK registered charities
- Supporting the protection and survival of plants and animals by maintaining and restoring habitats, enhancing ecosystems, and protecting biological diversity.
- Educating behavioural changes addressing environmental issues like littering and waste.
- Countering the effects of pollution and climate change (e.g. ideas and projects which tackle the issue of plastic waste and those to reduce carbon emissions).
Registered charities in the UK with a turnover below £500,000 (or medical charities with an income below £15 million) are eligible to apply.
Find out more about Grocers’ Charity Grant here
Cellnex Community Fund
Amount available: up to £5,000
Deadline: can be submitted at any time
Grants are available for charities, charitable incorporated organisations (CIOs), and other not-for-profit organisations across the UK to deliver projects and activities that help to strengthen communities, build digital confidence, improve the environment, and help people access skills for the future.
Funding is for projects and activities that fall within one or more of the following themes:
- Digital Inclusion and Skills – Helping people to get online, build digital skills, or use technology with confidence.
- Circular Economy – Reducing waste, encouraging repair and reuse, or supporting sustainable use of materials.
- Biodiversity and Conservation – Improving local nature, protecting wildlife habitats, or supporting community environmental action.
- AI and Education – Building awareness of artificial intelligence, responsible use of technology, and STEM learning.
