Shoe poverty - which can impact on children’s confidence and self-esteem as they notice that they are different to their peers - is feared to be on the rise as the UK enters a recession triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic.
After seeing a number of children attending Angel Pre-School in South Westminster, part of the London Early Years Foundation (LEYF), attend during the summer wearing winter boots, manager Christel Brown decided to reach out to shoe companies via Twitter with a request to donate any spare shoes for vulnerable children. The small charity Sal’s Shoes responded and donated 24 pairs of shoes to support struggling families.
‘We are so grateful for the shoe donation from Sal’s Shoes which has made many children from disadvantaged backgrounds extremely happy,’ said Ms Brown. ‘I recently had a parent explaining that she wants her child to return back to nursery but needed to wait for her benefits to arrive so that she could buy some clothes for her daughter to wear. This highlights the extent of the issue and why we must all do our bit for children most in need.’
LEYF chief executive June O’Sullivan said that the nursery group is still appealing for more shoe donations.
‘We know from the latest report by The Food Foundation that the UK’s poorest households struggle to afford to meet the Government’s recommended guidelines on a healthy diet, so you can imagine many families have very little money left over for other essentials such as new clothing and shoes,’ she said.
‘It’s absurd to think that shoe poverty is a reality in one of the world’s richest countries and that we have to rely on the generosity of brilliant charities such as Sal’s Shoes for vital help.’
Contact marketing@leyf.org.uk for more information on how to donate shoes.