A few weeks ago now, I was asked if I’d like to be involved in
an awesome organisation called LUTA Sportswear …they’re a company that
donates half of their profits to a sister charity called Fight for Peace that “runs sports and
education projects for young people in communities affected by crime and
violence”.
To be honest, I’d never heard of them before, but after my experience
with Brathay, I really have realised just how important this type of charity
support can be, and jumped at the chance to be involved, to try out their kit,
and to help get the word out…..but because I’ve been a bit in the doldrums as I
comeback from injury, it didn’t really feel like the right time. But now I’m
starting to get back to normal, I wanted to let you know about them.
This is “The Story” from their website:
In 2000 a small boxing club in Rio de Janeiro named Luta Pela Paz (Fight
for Peace) opened its doors in the favela community of Complexo del Marè. It
became an immediate outlet for the young people in Rio de Janeiro’s favelas; a
place for them to turn their backs on drugs, guns and victimisation. A place
set up to develop champions in and out of the ring. LUTA Sportswear was created
to support these champions.
Half of LUTA’s profits go to Fight for Peace, a non-profit organisation that uses boxing and martial arts, combined with personal development and education to help realise the potential of young people affected by crime and violence.
Our aim is to bring you quality, high-end, socially responsible
sportswear. To do that we have consulted with professional athletes and teamed
up with industry-leading sports apparel designers and top performance fabric
technicians in order to offer the best products for your regime.
LUTA Sportswear is part of the commitment you have made to yourself. You
want to get fighting fit and in doing so, change your life. But – and this is
why we are different - you are also changing someone else’s as half our profits
go to Fight for Peace.
From its humble roots in the favela, Fight for Peace is a now a global
non-profit organisation supporting thousands of young people in communities
affected by crime and violence all over the world. Today, Fight for Peace offer their
Global Alumni programme that supports local groups (such as non-governmental
organisations, schools, youth groups, sports clubs, youth-offender
institutions) to implement Fight for Peace's five pillar methodology (boxing
& martial arts combined with education, employability, youth leadership and
social support services) to better serve the young people in their community.
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| The Fight for Peace academy in London |
Fight for Peace works directly with
over 2,500 young people per year at its academies in Rio and London and via its
Global Alumni programme has supported 27 different organisations in 20
countries. Over the next three years Fight for Peace will train and support 120
organisations across the world helping a total of 70,000 young people.
So – LUTA has sent me a fab bag, information about both them and Fight for Peace, and a technical base layer top to
try out. To be honest, because this is a brand I hadn’t heard of and who seem to have been primarily focused on combat sports rather than running, I wasn’t sure what
the top was going to be like, but I was actually really impressed when I took
it out for a run.
It wicks well but still felt soft and comfortable (including
the totally flat seams) it has no labels in stupid places to rub, the shape was good, and the logo
on the front stretches really well without distortion (and if you’re a girl you’ll
understand what I mean about that….). So,
the kit is great, and although the range isn’t that extensive, it’s well worth
checking out (here on their website). It’s a brand that I’ll certainly be proud to wear, especially in the knowledge that half of the profits from everything I buy will go to help these disadvantaged young people!
