Ex-Boxer Frank Bruno Helps Deliver Free Footballs to Parks

Former boxing world champion Frank Bruno recently helped deliver free footballs to parks in England. Bruno, who is 64 years old, dropped off balls at Southchurch Park in Southend-on-Sea and the nearby village of Hockley in Essex. He did this to support a non-profit group called Found Football, which wants to get more kids active and playing outside. The group believes that simply leaving a football in a park can inspire young people to get up and play.

Found Football was started by Ritchie Beckett, a 44-year-old dad from Stockport. He came up with the idea years ago when he imagined filling an entire football pitch with thousands of balls so local communities could wake up and see them waiting to be used. Beckett said Bruno's involvement took the movement 'to another level,' and he hopes to expand it across the whole country one day. Bruno has also dropped off footballs at parks in Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire.

The footballs are bought at nearly cost price from a company and paid for through a mix of advertisements and donations. Beckett said that technology has made it harder to get children to exercise, but he believes his simple idea can make a real difference. There are no apps to download, no QR codes to scan, and no forms to fill out. As Beckett put it, 'It's just a ball left on a pitch — people can take it and play.'

On social media, Bruno said he hoped the free footballs would stop children from getting into trouble. 'If a small game of football between a few people means they won't be up to other things in the park, it gets my thumbs up,' he said. Beckett praised Bruno for responding to his messages, saying it shows why he is considered a national treasure. The movement has also received support from former Premier League footballer Danny Pugh and ex-England women's player Amanda Barr.

Found Football's biggest drop so far was 100 footballs on a pitch in Stockport. Beckett has also promised to deliver another 100 footballs to Essex by the end of September. He compared receiving a free football to a child getting their first telescope — one moment can spark a lifelong passion. Beckett summed it up simply: 'You just never know' where one kick of a ball might lead.