Derby sports manufacturer HUUB has given a helping hand to three city charities by donating unwanted goggles and repurposing wetsuits whose swimming days are over.
The firm has stepped in to help safeguarding charity Safe and Sound, YMCA Derbyshire, and the Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre by reusing and recycling the items after collecting them during an autumn amnesty.
HUUB held the initiative as part of a partnership with British Triathlon, which saw athletes taking part in triathlons invited to leave any unwanted goggles or wetsuits in large containers at the end of their races earlier this year.
These were then collected, with the wetsuits either repaired and resold, or, if they were beyond mending, handed over to the YMCA’s Key College and Safe and Sound to be cut up and turned into items such as coasters and mouse mats.
The goggles, meanwhile, were donated to the children’s holiday centre, which is based in Skegness, for the visiting children to use during their stay.
The partnership was the first of its kind in the industry and Dean Jackson, founder of HUUB, said it was launched as part of a sustainability drive to save the goggles and wetsuits from ending up in landfill.
But, he said, it was also a chance for the company to give something back to the Derby community, by using the unwanted items to encourage children to go swimming, or to help the YMCA and Safe and Sound raise badly needed funds.
He said: “Sustainability is huge in the sport of triathlon and we are proud to say at HUUB that we never throw a wetsuit away, but will instead always offer to repair them on behalf of our athletes.
“However, it’s inevitable that, as we launch new, innovative products, our customers will want to buy the latest items, meaning that they will end the season with kit they no longer want or need.
“As an ethical company, we feel we have a responsibility to ensure that kit isn’t simply thrown away, so this year we encouraged them to hand it over to us so that we could either repair and resell it, find another home for it, or even take it to bits and sell it as a new product.
“We’ve been delighted with the level of support this amnesty has received and thrilled that we’ve been able to put the goggles and wetsuits to good use for three charities who do such good work here in Derby.”
Gillian Sewell, CEO of YMCA Derbyshire, said: “A small group of Enterprise learners from our YMCA Key College in Ilkeston took on this project and went to Derby to meet Dean and hear him talk about how he built up his business.
“For many of the young people, who faced challenges at school or struggle with anxiety, this was a unique and welcoming opportunity to explore the world of work. Projects like this are invaluable in helping our learners develop employability skills and confidence and we’re so grateful to HUUB for making it possible.”
Janine Holmes, CEO of the Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre, said: “We are delighted with the donation of goggles from HUUB.
“Many children who come to our centre don’t benefit from items that lots of families take for granted – like a pair of goggles. I know that children who come to enjoy a holiday with us will so appreciate having these goggles to enjoy their swimming, especially as they have come from such a well respected brand and have been worn by some of the world’s top athletes.
“We’d like to thank Dean Jackson and the team at HUUB for this very generous donation which will be much used and enjoyed.”
Tracy Harrison, CEO of Safe and Sound, said: “We are so grateful to HUUB for their ingenious donation. This collaboration transforms what would have been waste into vital funds, allowing us to continue our work supporting vulnerable young people. Every mouse mat and coaster purchased is a direct investment in a safer future for a child in our community.”
