Residents across Torfaen can access free sports clothing and footwear thanks to a generous donation from Dragons RFC to the Torfaen Community Kit Room.
With the rising cost of living continuing to place pressure on families, the Community Kit Room was established to help remove financial barriers to participation in sport and physical activity. The initiative is delivered through a partnership between Torfaen Council's Health, Sport and Fitness Team, Blaenavon Town Council, Cwmbran Community Council, Eastern Valley Foodbank, Garnsychan Partnership and Circulate Blaenavon.
The Community Kit Room provides a wide range of free sports clothing and equipment, including football and rugby kits, boots, gymnastics leotards and much more. By encouraging the reuse of good-quality items, the scheme not only helps local families save money but also reduces waste and supports environmental sustainability.
Dragons RFC regularly receives donations of pre-loved sports clothing and equipment and works to ensure these items benefit the communities it serves. This week, the club donated several bags of children's sports clothing and footwear to the Community Kit Room and plans to become a regular contributor.
Councillor Fiona Cross became aware of the opportunity through her support for Cwmbran Dragons Allstars Inclusive Touch Rugby. She welcomed the donation, saying: "This kit will make a real difference to young people who love rugby and want to take part in sport but may struggle to afford the equipment they need. We're incredibly grateful to Dragons RFC for their generosity and support of our local communities."
The Community Kit Room is open to anyone who needs sports clothing or equipment, helping more people to get active and enjoy the physical and social benefits of sport.
If you have sports kit that is no longer being used but still has plenty of life left in it, please consider donating it.
To donate or collect items, CLICK HERE
Wayne Furley, Volunteer & Dragons Allstars Inclusive Touch:
“I honestly cannot put into words how amazing the work David Watts is doing with the Dragons Kit Locker and what this could mean for people across Torfaen and the surrounding communities.
From my own experience with Dragons Allstars Inclusive Touch, I know just how important access to sport can be. We see every week that sport is about so much more than what happens on a pitch. It can give someone confidence when they didn't have any, friendships when they were feeling isolated, and a place where they genuinely feel that they belong.
But unfortunately, the cost of taking part in sport can sometimes be the very thing that stops people from getting through the door. A pair of boots, sports clothing or equipment might not sound like a huge expense to some people, but for a family already struggling with the rising cost of living, it can be the difference between a child being able to participate or having to sit on the sidelines.
That's why I know the Dragons Kit Locker is going to make such a huge impact.
The incredible thing about this is that good-quality kit that may otherwise be sitting unused can now have a completely new purpose. It can go to a child, young person or adult who genuinely needs it and give them the opportunity to take part in something that could have a much bigger impact on their life than simply putting on a pair of boots.
I know from what we see within our own club that once you remove that initial barrier, amazing things can happen. People start to participate. They make friends. Their confidence grows. Families become connected. People who may previously have felt excluded suddenly have somewhere they belong.
That is why I believe the impact of the Dragons Kit Locker will go far beyond the kit itself. It will reach into communities across Torfaen and the surrounding areas and help make sport more accessible to people who may otherwise struggle to afford it.
I genuinely cannot thank David Watts enough for the work he is putting into this. What he is doing is absolutely fantastic. It would be very easy to look at a collection of donated sports kit and see clothing, boots and equipment. David sees something completely different — he sees opportunities.
Opportunities for children to play.
Opportunities for young people to get involved.
Opportunities for families to save money.
Opportunities for people to feel included.
And most importantly, opportunities for people who might otherwise be left on the sidelines.
The donation from Dragons RFC is a fantastic start, and I know it will make a real difference. But what excites me most is the potential for this to keep growing and for more clubs, organisations and individuals to get behind what David is doing.
If we can take something that someone no longer needs and put it into the hands of someone who desperately needs it, that's not just recycling sports kit — that's giving someone another opportunity.
From everyone at Dragons Allstars Inclusive Touch, thank you to Dragons RFC, David Watts and everyone involved in making the Dragons Kit Locker happen. I genuinely believe this donation is going to make a huge difference across Torfaen and beyond.”
