Date: July 2024
When harnessed for good, social media can be astounding. Every time someone shares one of our stories, it helps more people find out about us – and it helps us find out about more organisations in need of shoes.
That’s exactly how our first-ever distribution in Australia began. A generous offer came in from Charleeboo, a children’s shoe retailer based in Australia – over 3,700 pairs of brand-new toddler shoes ready to find new feet. A wonderful donation…with a few logistical hurdles.
Australia is vast – more than 32 times the size of the UK – and a long way away. But this small charity rose to the challenge.
While our Duke of Edinburgh’s Award volunteers in the UK worked on the groundwork and research needed to get the project off the ground, we rallied a small but shoetastic team of volunteers in Australia to sort, itemise and prepare the shoes in a local warehouse. The first consignments were headed to St Kilda Mums and Dandelion Support Network, two charities doing vital work for babies and children across Victoria and Sydney.
Then, with the support of DHL Express Australia, our shoes began to roll out further across the country to Little Things for Tiny Tots, who supply essential baby items to families in need across Western Australia and Our Village – a new chapter uniting St Kilda Mums, Geelong Mums and Eureka Mums in Victoria, turning pre-loved into re-loved so that every child can thrive.
From Perth to Sydney to Melbourne, this has been a huge team effort – made possible by social media, international teamwork, and people who believe every child deserves a decent pair of shoes.
