Donate footwear for refugees and those in need this Christmas
Crystal Palace F.C. and Palace for Life Foundation are calling for supporters to donate football boots to those in the community that need them the most throughout December.
This Christmas at Palace, we want to join forces with our supporters to donate and distribute football boots and trainers to those across south London who are unable to afford them.
Palace for Life deliver numerous sport sessions in SE25 and beyond, giving young people access to football to keep them fit, healthy, help battle social isolation and to keep them off of the streets and away from crime and violence. These sessions include football for Afghan refugees who have been housed in Croydon and at these sessions it has come to our coaches attention that many participants don’t have appropriate or safe footwear and some are attempting to play in flip flops or even barefoot.
This is unfortunately a worrying trend across many Palace for Life sessions, where often young people from the most disadvantaged backgrounds do not have and cannot afford the appropriate footwear and equipment to participate in football.
At Palace we are determined to ensure that football is accessible for everyone and we are calling on fans to help us to donate equipment to those who need it the most.
We are looking for new or used donations of:
- Football boots
- Astroturf trainers
- Trainers
- Shin pads
In all sizes (children and adult).
Any footwear donated will be distributed across south London to refugees, those from low-income families and offered to children that receive free school meals.
You can donate boots at any of Crystal Palace F.C.’s home matchdays (only) throughout December by using the drop off point in the Fanzone.
The appeal has been backed by Crystal Palace F.C. forward, Christian Benteke, who said:
“I think it’s important for us as players to try and help where we can, especially at a time like Christmas.
“The boot appeal is something close to many of us, because as kids, we knew what it was like not to be able to afford boots to play in. So for us to give back in this way is special, and something we can all get behind.”
You can donate new or used boots in the Fanzone before all Crystal Palace F.C. home matches in December, plus the first home game of the New Year against West Ham on 1 December 2022.