Budding athletes and sports stars across Luton are set to benefit from the launch of a ground-breaking charity shop, Active Luton Sports Traider. This new store will be dedicated to making sports equipment and clothing accessible to everyone, and encouraging local people back into sports, by recycling old and unwanted sports kit.

Active Luton Sports Traider opened in The Mall Luton on 16 November 2010, with Cllr Tom Shaw, Mayor of Luton, on hand to cut the ribbon and welcome shoppers to the new store. He was supported by local sports stars; ex-Luton Town star Kingsley Black also supported the event alongside current players Amari Morgan-Smith and Shane Blackett. In addition, Dru Spinks – the former captain of the Marshall Milton Keynes Lions basketball team – was on hand to encourage local people to start donating unwanted and old equipment.

The opening of Active Luton Sports Traider marks the start of an ongoing campaign to ask Luton residents to clear out cupboards, wardrobes and garages and to donate any unwanted sports kit, including school PE kits, out-grown trainers and boots, lost property, old hockey sticks, rackets and golf clubs – basically, anything related to sport or keeping fit. The team at Active Luton Sports Traider will then wash, clean and restore them and then sell them in the shop at affordable prices.

Anybody with items to donate can drop them off at the following places:

• Active Luton Sports Traider, Unit 1 The Mall Luton (by the entrance to the market) Monday to Saturday from 11am to 3pm • Wardown Swimming & Leisure Centre, Bath Road, Luton on Saturday and Sunday only from 10am to 4pm

• For larger quantities of stock, call Active Luton on 01582 400272

The shop will be the second of its type in the UK, and follows hot on the heels of a sister branch which opened in Bedford in 2009 and has been extremely successful. There is already a huge amount of support for the scheme, with well-known brands such as Nike and Adidas donating end of line stock items, enabling the store to offer a mix of second and new items. In addition, John Lewis Partnership has assisted with the shop design and fit, and will be setting up the window displays.

“We are keen to encourage as many local people as possible to support Active Luton Sports Traider,” explains Helen Barnett, Chief Executive of Active Luton. “Whether that is through buying sports equipment here, or by donating old and unwanted equipment – either way it will definitely be appreciated!

“The people we have managing the new store, who have amazed us with their hard-work and enthusiasm, have all participated in the Future Job Fund scheme – and we are exceptionally proud of the work they are doing. Active Luton Sports Traider offers so many benefits: community spirit, creating jobs, encouraging sports and fitness – it is even environmentally friendly – so we are convinced that it will be a very positive thing for Luton.”