"On the eve of our 18th anniversary I wanted us to take a stance that’s as much about leading from the front and heartfelt convictions that it is reducing needless landfill," says Christine Kelly, Little Kickers founder
What makes a brand truly great? Some people will no doubt suggest game-breaking innovation, whilst others might point towards the capacity to influence large swathes of opinion formers or maybe the bottom line might. While all of the above are bonafide barometers of success, in today’s increasingly environmentally aware landscape, consumers are increasingly looking to trusted brands for meaningful philanthropic initiatives (Corporate Social Responsibility) which give back to the communities in which they operate.
Little Kickers is a high profile franchise operator that by its own admission has “largely flown under the environmental radar” until now. This is an award-winning business that stands tall as the first company in the UK to operate educational football programmes for pre-school children via a far-flung network of hard-working franchises and has worked tirelessly for 18 years to become the largest global operator in this space (330 franchises in 34 countries with 70,000-plus children attending classes each and every week).
Sustainable and environmental-friendly practices are very much at the fore of Little Kicker’s 2020 vision with Christine Kelly, Little Kicker founder, ruefully admitting: “We’re ashamed to admit that up until now we’ve been responsible for the annual production of 100,000-plus football strips, made from man-made fibres, that are delivered, swathed in unwelcome plastic.”
Sincere, game-changing gestures come in many shapes and sizes from Waitrose’s Community Matters Project (little green tokens) to Ben & Jerry’s sacrificing a significant portion of its pre-tax profits for corporate philanthropy. Then there’s Nature’s Path ongoing commitment ‘to leave the earth better than they found it’ (bold organic stance, zero-waste manufacturing facilities supporting local food banks) and Lego’s (the ultimate recyclable toy) ongoing vision to create plant-based bricks by 2025.
“Let us not think for a minute that it’s only big companies with vast resources that can make meaningful, environmentally sustainable adjustments to help out the wider environment. Young, fledgeling brands like Hunter & Gather Food and Rubies in the Rubble are two of a multitude of brands working tirelessly to utilise ‘wonky’ ingredients that would otherwise be discarded by small-minded supermarkets,” adds Kelly.
So 2020 is the year Little Kickers will embark on its most ambitious project to date, having identified a forward-thinking supplier who’s able to manufacture excellent quality strips, made from ‘sea harvested’ plastic, that are then wrapped in bio-degradable bags.
“We appreciate that we’re only a small fish with a relatively light footprint,” continues Kelly, “However, on the eve of our 18th anniversary I wanted us to take a stance that’s as much about leading from the front and heartfelt convictions that it is reducing needless landfill.”
To further enhance the “environmental stickiness” of this project, Little Kickers participants will be given the option of returning their uniform when they’re finished with it whereupon they’ll be laundered and then dispatched with balls whistles and goals to one of the six centres for disadvantaged children in South Africa. Better than that, Little Kickers will sponsor some of its more gifted coaches to head out and train teachers at the centres on how best to deliver uplifting and positive football-themed experiences.
“To complete the circle we will keep our ‘kit donators’ informed digitally as to where their kit ended up so they can learn about the positive difference their generous actions afforded. We appreciate that in the current climate of uncertainty that a move to planet-friendly kits will have a cost implication at a time when no-one has a good handle on what a post coronavirus economy will look like,” admits Kelly. “So anything we’re exploring is likely to become a reality until the back end of 2020. Yet, by the same token, it would be wrong to not keep exploring socially responsible projects because there’s no doubt that whatever the outcome to the current health crisis the world has changed forever and that hopefully includes a more responsible attitude to business decisions and the wider planet.”