Sandale Trust volunteer wins Marcus Rashford’s boots

Thirteen-year-old Jake, the youngest volunteer at Bradford charity Sandale Trust, got the surprise of a lifetime when he learned he’d been awarded a pair of limited edition Marcus Rashford boots. Sandale Trust is a registered charity based in Buttershaw, Bradford, supporting local people to make positive changes in their communities. Based at Sandale Community Centre, the charity has been accessing surplus food through FareShare Go and FareShare Yorkshire since 2015 to aid their provision.

Andy, CEO at Sandale, said: “In the height of the pandemic, Jake spent most of his free time helping his mum and the team deliver parcels for the Holiday Hunger scheme and he was also a Telephone Befriender. This involved calling isolated older people for company and conversation and at times he called up to 15 people a day. He received amazing feedback and people really looked forward to hearing his cheery voice, making a huge difference to their day and wellbeing.”

Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford donated a pair of his special edition football boots to a Crowdfunder Prize Draw in support of FareShare and Trussell Trust, as he continued his powerful campaign against food poverty. The winner very kindly donated them back to be passed on to a deserving young person who had gone above and beyond in the pandemic. There were lots amazing young people to choose from, but Jake was chosen through receiving the most nominations and was extremely deserving.

As Andy explains: “Jake wasn’t aware of the nomination initially, so when I found out he had won and they were being delivered, I was keen to put a plan in place to award him them and celebrate his achievement. What better way to do this but on the football pitch following his match! All his peers and family were there and everyone was super excited – there might have also been a few tears!”

Jake received the All-Black Nike Mercurial Superfly boots, which Marcus debuted for England against Belgium in October. Only ten pairs of the boots exist, and they are not available for purchase anywhere. Marcus Rashford said: “The boots are very special and very personal to me, and the best thing about them is that they are unique, not many people will have a pair.”

Sandale goes above and beyond to involve the community in supporting each other. They have 15 amazing volunteers at present that support their work and all of them being local. Most staff members also live local which has a positive impact on the work they do, they are relatable and have a good understanding of the poverty people are living in, in particular the impact this had during the pandemic.

Jake got involved in the charity through his stepmum. As Andy said: “Jake, a Manchester United and Marcus Rashford fan, is an amazing young man who has been through such a lot in his short life but still sees the good in people and wants to help others. He watched and listened to the work his mum was taking part in and just wanted to get involved.”

The need for support has increased hugely during the last year as a result of the pandemic and the Trust has delivered over 10,000 food parcels. Without FareShare they would not have been able to reach as many people and have extended their work all across Bradford South.

Their work is driven by the need in their communities, and means they are ever changing, adapting and reinventing projects. Before the pandemic, the team at Sandale ran youth clubs, a food bank, lunch clubs and meals on wheels. During the pandemic the charity refocused its work to focus more on outreach, which included delivering food parcels, the Young People’s Welfare Project and a gardening club. Their Holiday Hunger provision supplied up to 500 hot meals a day.

Neither Sandale nor Jake are planning on stopping anytime soon: “Jake is so grateful and the boots take pride and place in a glass cabinet in his room! There was a lot of persuasion to stop him kicking a ball in them. Jake continues to volunteer and is even more dedicated to helping out these days, but his inspiration is still Marcus Rashford and his aspiration is to become a footballer just like him!”