Michael Carrick has delivered hundreds of football boots to local children near Old Trafford with the help of the Michael Carrick Foundation.
Carrick, now a first team coach at Manchester United after a trophy laden career, launched the Foundation after retiring from football to help children feel safe, valued, and inspired to achieve.
Over the summer, the Michael Carrick Foundation launched Carrick’s Boot Room, encouraging members of the public to donate their unwanted/outgrown boots with the aim of re distributing them to the children enrolled on his projects.
And they were astounded at the response to the inaugural campaign – with 1023 boots in all sizes donated.
Carrick commented on the response, saying: “We were very humbled by the sheer volume of boots kindly donated by the local community. We collected 1023 boots, in all sizes!
“This means we can reach so many more disadvantaged children in the Manchester area, as it’s essential that inadequate footwear and kit is not a barrier to a child’s participation in sport.
“These ‘new to you’ boots will ensure all the children have the means to fulfil their potential.”
Carrick, along with volunteers from his Foundation, arrived at Stretford Sports Village for a Carrick’s Street Reds project training session to personally hand out the first 73 pairs of boots to excited youngsters.
Carrick’s Street Reds is a programme which operates in twelve targeted locations across Greater Manchester, funded by the Manchester United Foundation and the Michael Carrick Foundation.
The project aims to use the power of football to offer young people positive opportunities and the chance to play, lead and coach in a safe environment.
Jo Cherrett, Chief Operating Officer of Trafford Leisure said: “My team at Trafford Leisure have been delighted to support the work of the Michael Carrick Foundation, enabling and assisting the charity to promote and market the campaign, as well as collecting, storing and cleaning the boots.
“Michael has really engaged and inspired our community.
“Both the Michael Carrick Foundation and Trafford Leisure believe in increasing the long term participation in sport of disadvantaged children, we believe that sport must be accessible to all.”