Sal’s Shoes is in its 9th year of operation and has grown to be the leader in the charitable shoe recycling sector. The premise of the service relies on the fact that children normally outgrow footwear before they outwear them.
The organisation extends its services to 41 countries worldwide, however the need for shoes in England are ever-growing. Last year saw the charity provide over 300,000 pairs of shoes to children, which were donated by the public, high street shops and various manufacturers.
Investing in inclusive communities
We have always supported inclusive communities, investing in the health, wellbeing and social inclusion of our residents, as well as wider society. This partnership now sees us providing age appropriate footwear, available from three Guinness supported community hubs, operating in busy areas.
The shoe banks are in four communities – Crewe, Salford, Hackney and Milton Keynes – and the shops are filled with pre-loved shoes organised by size and colour, and laid out like a normal shoe shop. There are school shoes, trainers, wellies and more. Children can have their feet measured and choose the shoes they like best, rather than simply being given a pair that fits.
CJ Bowry, founder of Sal’s Shoes says: “It’s really trying to make it as close to a real-life shopping experience as possible: the only difference is families don’t have to pay.”
The hubs are based in:
Salford
In Salford, we are working with a long term partner of ours, Emmaus. They support people in working their way out of homelessness, providing meaningful work and a food pantry. A lot of the residents in the area get referred to this community hub from their local schools, which will now have a selection of school shoes and uniform available in their store. The hub will stock shirts, sweatshirts, skirts, trousers, socks, pumps, shoes and PE tops.
Crewe, St Paul’s Centre
The St Paul’s Centre in Crewe is a community hub that supports vulnerable and homeless people by providing food, furniture, bikes and support for those with disabilities as well as those looking for work. This hub will have a permanent store, supplying school shoes to the local residents.
Hackney
In London, we’re working with N16 Boiler House, a community space charity, to provide a Sal’s Shoes shop area.
Milton Keynes
In Milton Keynes we are working with Sals Shoes and have opened a shoe hub at Glebe School where customers have access to age appropriate footwear for free.
How to donate
If you’d like to donate shoes then you can do so via the Sal’s Shoes website.
Note: they do require a £1/pair monetary donation for the journey of your shoes – this can be paid online via their website. Please use your name on this payment as a reference.
You can also donate shoes at the centres.