LEISURE centres in Hart have joined a campaign aiming to keep one million pairs of running shoes out of landfills. 

As part of the JogOn campaign Hart Leisure Centre and Frogmore Leisure Centre, run by Everyone Active in partnership with Hart District Council, are each hosting a collection bin where members of the community can drop off their unwanted running shoes.

These are then sent to JogOn, which liaise with logistics and distribution partners to ensure that reusable pairs are sent around the world to people who most need them, with the help of charities and non-governmental organisations.

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JogOn estimates that every year in the UK alone, more than 30m pairs of shoes end up in landfill, while elsewhere in the world around three million people suffer from sole diseases.

But it is hoped this nationwide partnership with Everyone Active will make a valuable contribution to improving those statistics.

Kevin Wallace, Everyone Active’s contract manager, said: “We are delighted to partner with JogOn for this hugely positive initiative, which means the local community can make a real difference.

“We would encourage people of all ages to donate their unwanted running shoes so that they can experience a second life, rather than simply going to landfill.

“It’s just a matter of dropping the shoes into collection bins at our centres and Everyone Active and JogOn will do the rest.”

The public can access a full list of the 91 Everyone Active sites taking part using JogOn’s interactive map.

Tony Piedade, JogOn’s chief executive, said: “This partnership with Everyone Active will prove a huge boost in our efforts to keep 1m pairs of running shoes from going to landfill."

He added that this partnership alone could keep 100,000 pairs a year out of landfill with 60-70 pairs of running shoes expected to be collected per centre, each month.