Leeds United star Ethan Ampadu joins ex-Whites man to surprise charity shop with special donations
A pair of Leeds United stars from the past and present have surprised staff and volunteers in a Ripon charity shop with special personal donations.
Whites captain Ethan Ampadu and former Leeds player David Prutton visited Ripon's Salvation Army branch on North Street to hand deliver signed shirts for fans to unearth in the shop. The visit is part of a campaign that aims to encourage giving pre-loved sportswear a second life. Green Football's Great Save claims to be the world's biggest climate football campaign, setting out to rally the sport's fans, players, pundits, clubs, leagues and grassroots community to donate, sell, reuse or upcycle to help cut back on waste.
According to the campaign, an estimated 350,000 tonnes of used clothing ends up in UK landfills each year and global data estimates that sportswear was responsible for just over a quarter of the total spend on apparel in 2022 and was set to grow.
Salvation Army shop manager Angelina Duckworth was over the moon to have Ampadu and Sky Sports pundit Prutton visit. She said: “It’s not every day a celebrity comes into the shop, let alone two. Ethan and David were both lovely and explained what shirts they were donating and why. Ethan donated a shirt signed by the Leeds United team and David had one of his own tops from 20 years ago from when he was a player himself. He signed it in the shop for us. We are excited to put them out in the shop to see who finds them. Hopefully it’ll encourage other people across the area to have a clear out and donate some of their own kit.”
The Ripon branch is one of 260 Salvation Army shops across the UK to partner with Green Football's Great Save to accept donations of pre-loved sportswear. Anyone dropping off their unwanted items in Ripon and nationwide can enter a prize draw to win a host of sport-related prizes by logging onto the Green Football website.
Ampadu, who is currently out of action due to a serious knee injury and hopes to return to the pitch some time after the March international break, picked out a special shirt from his personal collection for what he calls an 'important campaign.' He said: “I’m donating the first shirt I wore after becoming Leeds United captain. It’s very special to me because it is a real honour to lead this club, and the pride I felt walking out at Elland Road in the first game of the season is something I’ll never forget.
"I’m donating such an important shirt because it’s an important campaign - one that will help make sure future generations can enjoy playing football like I have. Every year, a huge amount of sports kit gets thrown away, when it could be reused, repurposed, or passed on to someone who needs it. If each of us does something small to cut waste and give our sportswear a second life, we can make a big difference."