Our Story

What is the meaning of Loopeto?

Loopeto – “Loop Again”

“Eto” means “again” in Welsh — representing reuse, circularity, and second chances for items.

How did it all begin?

Loopeto was founded by Holly and Sean Gallagher, parents of three children actively involved in school, grassroots sports, and community activities. With over 30 years’ involvement in local sport, they saw first-hand a frustrating reality: there was no simple, sustainable way to make used sporting goods and school uniform available to others.

Some clubs ran “boot rooms” and some schools had uniform shops — but they were reliant on volunteers with limited time. Schemes faded as families moved on when their children grew up. The result? Waste, missed opportunities, unnecessary costs for families, and children missing out because essentials were unaffordable.

They also noticed that clubs tended to share within their own age groups, not across the whole club. Perfectly good kit piled up, while parents spent money on new gear — unaware that items were already available in storage.

That’s when Holly and Sean decided to act. They decided to create an online marketplace space for clubs and schools to make donated items visible to their community, and for members to list their own items for exchange between each other. Loopeto was created to keep items in play for longer — to loop again.

The Turning Point

Working with a local rugby club and school, they put the idea to the test.

Local Rugby Club

• 100 pairs of donated boots sat in a damp container.
• 20 pairs were beyond saving.
• 80 pairs were cleaned, uploaded to Loopeto, and promoted across all age groups and the local community.
• Within 6 months, every pair had been re-homed — many to children who had never played sport before.

Local Primary School

• 50 pieces of school uniform were uploaded to Loopeto.
• Within 3 months, every item had found a new home.

Families then started listing their own items — for sale or for free — and Loopeto became a self-sustaining community platform.

Key Insight: Visibility is everything

• Families were already donating generously — they just needed a system that worked.
• Once items were easy to find, they moved quickly — helping families save money, make money, get involved in sports, and reduce waste.
• Some users preferred to buy and sell items, aswell as using the free option.

The Next Step – Sharing What We Already Own

This is where we integrate the Sharing Economy with the Circular Economy.

The idea of sharing through rental came from our own experience. After buying a pressure washer and only using it twice in a year, it became clear that many expensive items sit idle most of the time.

We realised the same applied everywhere:

• Families buy tents, roof boxes, or camping gear that are used once a year at best.
• People go on holiday but can’t hire a kayak, surfboard or paddle board — even though plenty of neighbours have one sitting unused in a garage.
• DIY tools and equipment like power tools, hand tools, ladders and lots more are purchased for one off jobs and only used for a short period of time.

Loopeto’s Share through Rental option was designed to fix this. By renting out infrequently used items, users can make money, save money, and make better use of what we already own. At the same time, the small commission on sales and rentals helps keep Loopeto financially sustainable, without compromising our core social values.

The Power of Repair

Too many items get thrown away when they could easily be repaired. At Loopeto, we believe that repairing, fixing or upcycling is an essential element of the circular economy.

That’s why we’ve created an option for users to make broken items available for free. We're working to connect with local repair and upcycling groups — like Men’s Sheds and Repair Cafés — to help communities bring items back to life. People can also offer their own repair skills through the platform, creating new opportunities to save money, reduce waste, and strengthen community ties.

Repair isn’t just about fixing what’s broken — it’s about valuing what we already have.

What is our mission?

Our mission is simple: to make it easy for communities to give, share, sell, and repair items.

By doing so, we aim to:

• Make sport and education inclusive and accessible to all, regardless of background.
• Cut the cost of sports and school essentials for players, students and families.
• Strengthen communities through reuse, collaboration, and repair.
• Reduce waste, keep goods in use for longer, and do our bit for the environment.

Loopeto isn’t just a platform. It’s a way to build a self-sustaining circular economy at community level — where families help each other, clubs and schools reduce waste, and every item is valued.

Who is our audience?

Loopeto is built for:

• Everyone. Loopeto is accessible to all.
• Families looking for affordable, accessible kit, uniforms, and equipment.
• Sports clubs & schools who want to make donated items visible and useful, without the hassle of running shops.
• Anyone in sport — whether buying, selling, donating, or repairing kit.
• Communities & organisations passionate about sustainability, social value, and inclusion.

Our early adopters are national governing bodies, grassroots clubs, school and parents — people who understand the frustration of wasted kit and rising costs, and want to be part of the solution.

But our vision is bigger. Loopeto is on a path to become the #1 sports kit and equipment resale platform in the UK.