Soles4Souls Launches New Partnership With Neuff Athletic

Last month, Soles4Souls launched a partnership with Neuff, an athletics and triathlon retailer based in the United Kingdom. The company has a long history of selling equipment, however, it’s founding in 1966 was always based more on fully supporting athletes and their development. After the founder, Dr. Alan Neuff, passed away over 2 years ago, his daughter Sara and her husband Matt, a dedicated triathlete, took over the company. Since then, they have continued to pursue his vision of enabling athletes to achieve their potential, with a particular focus on providing gear for para-athletes. 

“There are, unfortunately, thousands of children and young people in the UK who cannot access sport because they cannot afford the necessary shoes and kit.  We are working with Soles4Souls and English Schools Athletics Association to identify the communities where those young people live and create a distribution network to ensure that when the next corporate donation is received, young people here in this country who desperately need support can receive [new] shoes and kit and fulfill their own potential both in sport and life,” says Sara Cunningham-Neuff, Director of Neuff.

In addition to identifying the communities that will benefit the most from receiving shoes and kit, Soles4Souls and Neuff will also be looking at distributing brand new single shoes, which have lost their partner, to amputees and para-athletes.

With Sara’s work background being in community-based asset development, a methodology for sustainable development in communities, it felt like a natural fit to partner with Soles4Souls. 

“Enabling people to work for themselves, whilst also providing a service to their community by providing good quality footwear, breaks the cycle of poverty for generations to come. Add to this the fact that creating this business supply chain keeps thousands of pairs of shoes from landfill, enormously benefits the environment,” says Sara.

Laura Siddall, a professional triathlete champion and active supporter of Soles4Souls, introduced the idea of a partnership to Neuff this year, knowing that both companies align in values.

“It’s incredibly important for me to see younger athletes have access to kits. Sport, or just being active is so important to kids– for [their] health and wellbeing, but [also their] skills they develop… We are currently going through a time, where we are potentially going to lose a generation to sport, through lockdowns and grassroots sports being restricted. This is not good. But even before this, there are so many children who don’t have the opportunity to be active because they don’t have access to kits. Every kid deserves and should have that opportunity. Sport is so very powerful for so many good reasons,” says Siddall.

Knowing Neuff’s passion for supporting athletes and being socially responsible, Siddall figured there could be great synergy for a partnership with Soles4Souls. Now, Neuff-Red, a branch of the company focused on triathletes, will serve as a collection point for used kit donations. 

“Maybe, just maybe, a S4S pair of shoes will lead someone to athletic greatness, or even just sow the seeds for a lifetime love of sport and all the physical and mental health benefits that that brings,” says Sara.

Read more about Neuff’s partnership with Soles4Souls here.