This year’s edition of The Schoolwear Show will officially support children’s charity Sal’s Shoes and its UK School Shoes Fund, which helps buy children in need a new pair of school shoes.

Sal’s Shoes collects and distributes new and pre-loved shoes to children’s feet around the world. To date, it has distributed over 3 million pairs of shoes in 57 countries worldwide, including here in the UK.

The Schoolwear Show’s partnership with Sal’s Shoes includes a stand at the 2022 exhibition. This will enable the charity to network with suppliers and retailers and share further information on its campaign.

The UK School Shoes Fund

Due to rising poverty, it is estimated that 1.7 million children attend school in badly fitting, unclean and incorrect uniform. With nearly 2 million people applying for Universal Credit during lockdown, many items − including shoes once deemed every day and affordable − are increasingly becoming unaffordable for too many.

The School Shoes Fund allows Sal’s Shoes to buy school children in need − here in the UK − a new pair of school shoes. The more money the charity raises, the more pairs it can purchase at a discounted rate through its contacts.

“There are 4.2 million children living in poverty in the UK,” says Sal’s Shoes founder, CJ Bowry. “That’s nine children in a classroom of 30. Our UK School Shoes Fund distributes new shoes, trainers and wellies for school, and hopefully helps to ease the burden on already stretched families.”

How can the schoolwear industry help?

Essentially, the charity needs donations of shoes; seconds, end-of-line stock, and donations of any new school shoes, wellies or trainers. Alternatively, monetary donations can be made to the Fund to help buy new school shoes for children. The charity also welcomes industry contacts who would be open to offering a discounted rate for the charity to buy new school shoes with the money raised.

The Schoolwear Show is the UK’s only trade exhibition dedicated solely to the independent schoolwear retailer. The 2022 event takes place on 9-10 October at Cranmore Park, Solihull. For further information on the show, including visitor registration, please click here.

Alternatively, for further information on Sal’s Shoes (Charity Number 1171670), please click here.