‘Birak’ roller-skates help support the Indigenous Literacy Foundation

Chuffed Skates isn’t just a roller-skate shop. It is a community where people connect to improve their mental and physical health, and bond over a love of roller-skating.

Recently, they ran an initiative where skaters were able to design their own skates and $10 from each sale would go to a charity of their choosing.

Ashley Chitty, an Indigenous skater on their team, chose the ILF because she wanted to support an organisation that makes a difference in the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. 

“Our fundraiser involved manufacturing a roller skate in collaboration with Chitty and selling 300 pairs.”

“The skate is called 'Birak' which pays respects to one of the six seasons in Noongar boodja Country where Chitty grew up, and is her birth season.”

Birak is the first season of summer. It is a hot and dry period when young animals leave the nest and start venturing out into the world. 

The beautiful lining of the skates was designed by artist Kambarni. 

“We hoped the playful imagery of the skate and its lining would evoke the feelings of this season.” 

The release gained a lot of excitement and attention straight away! 

The Chuffed Skates team has big plans to continue their awesome work into the future. They will be re-releasing the Birak for the Festive Season, continuing to fundraise for the ILF. 

Going forward, they hope to spread their hard work across the continent. 

They also have some rough plans to make some regional trips to communities in the future, “so we can spread the joy of skating on the ground.” 

To check out more from this Awabakal/Newcastle based company, click here. 

Thanks to Chitty and the team at Chuffed Skates for carrying out this meaningful project, we look forward to following what you do in the future! 

Check out our fundraising page to see more tips about how you too can get involved in organising for the ILF.

• Posted 08 November, 2021