KIND-HEARTED Solihull schoolchildren stepped up donated three car-loads of shoes to charity.
Pupils at Hasluck Green Primary School and Forest Oak School donated hundreds of pairs of shoes to Solihull Rotary Club for Shoe Aid.
Rotary Club president, Phil Godfrey, said: “Can you imagine a place where thousands of men, women and children wear footwear that is not fit for purpose.
“Where at least 280,000 homeless people (up to 10,000 of them living on the streets) have no shoes, or shoes that are falling to pieces.
“Then realise that we’re actually talking about the UK.
“School children are often a great source of footwear for such charities as they grow out of their shoes quicker than they can wear them out. They are also one of the key groups in society that have a keen desire to help others.
“We are delighted that we are helping this very urgent and vital need, saving shoes from the landfill, and giving them to desperate people.”
Over two million shoes are thrown into landfill every week.
On average, one pair of shoes takes upwards of one thousand years to biodegrade (synthetic fibres and textiles.)
This footwear can be recycled, repurposed, and used to combat footwear poverty.
Shoe Aid has provided education to tens of thousands of people and hundreds of organisations of recycling and repurposing footwear, whilst donating over 100,000 items of footwear in England, Scotland and Wales last year.
Andy Hughes, chief executive of Shoe Aid, said: “We have worked with Rotary Solihull for a number of years. In that time they have been instrumental in collecting shoes from the local community which are then used as donations to support families and individuals up and down the country who are struggling due to the cost of living crisis that this country has faced.
“They have also selflessly used space within their own homes to store donations made by people in the local community to be used to combat footwear poverty.”
Donations of footwear, including shoes, wellies, boots etc. are always welcomed, by contacting Phil at: [email protected] or Andy at: [email protected] or on 07511 983508.
Or to donate cash here.
