No mean feet – Manchester charities receive a year’s supply of socks

Celebrities have paired up with a retailer to stand up for Manchester’s homeless community by donating a year’s supply of socks.

SockShop, a Bolton-based seller, has donated 20,000 pairs of socks to five homeless charities in Manchester with actor Maxine Peake, ex-boxer Ricky Hatton and soap ace Jazmine Franks among the Mancunian mega-stars backing the campaign

Working with Street Support Network, the sock giant’s donation was split across charities in the city including Barnabus,Coffee4Craig, Centrepoint, Lifeshare and Urban Village Medical Practice.

Despite clean socks being an integral item to the homeless community, the charities found they were in scarce supply in Manchester, with fresh pairs being the least donated item of clothing. 

Shameless star Maxine Peake, a patron of Lifeshare charity, said: “I would like to thank SockShop for their kind donation to help keep vulnerable rough sleepers and other clients warm in these harsh winter months. And huge congratulations to Lifeshare on their unwavering work in Salford and Manchester this year. None of us are immune to the harsh twists and turns in life.”

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Jazmine Franks, known for her role as Esther Bloom on soap Hollyoaks, said: “Through my work with Barnabus I’ve spent time with many members of the homeless community, all of whom have completely different back stories. It’s so important to make sure we do our best to make sure everybody in the city has the basic comforts they need to stay warm and dry all year round. I’m delighted that SockShop have acted to help the most vulnerable in Manchester.”

Foot problems are frequently encountered by rough sleepers, who may not have much opportunity to look after their feet or change their socks. Problems can include blisters, calluses, fungal skin infections and wounds caused by prolonged exposure to wet conditions. To the public, clean socks are taken for granted, but for the homeless community they can make an immense difference.

Gary Dunstan, co-founder of Street Support Network, said: “A whole year’s supply for all five charities makes a huge difference as clean socks are vital for someone who is sleeping rough.

“It’s a great example of how businesses can help and how we can achieve more when we all work together to help people experiencing homelessness.”

Vimal Ruia, managing director at SockShop, added: “We are delighted to launch this campaign. Helping these five charities ensure they no longer have to worry about all-important sock provision over the next 12 months is something we are extremely happy to be able to do.”