To be surprised how many parents can't afford children's footwear?

[moita]

I must have been living under a rock but: I recently started volunteering for a charity that donates coats to children who need one.

I live in a village just outside a deprived city and we have lots of requests for coats from struggling parents.

It was eye-opening. We then started having the same request: for footwear, most specifically wellies. We put out social media messages for used but good condition wellies. Lots of people donated and they were all pretty much snapped up.

I've got to say: I was surprised, naively so? I felt guilty buying my toddler wellies from the supermarket but here were parents happy to take used ones away. And a lot of the people who came to use are single mums who have fallen on hard times.

I don't know. I just feel so sad that our service is so needed.

@Skysblue - that is shocking.

@Tooearlyforsquats

Last summer I went to kit out my kids for shoes and it was £200 for two primary kids. Two pairs Clarks, two pairs trainers, two plimsolls and two pairs wellies plus two pairs outdoor boots for an activity. Wild.

Also keen to know of the charity as I’d happily see our shoes go to a good home.

This works out at £20 per pair which doesn't seem unreasonable. I agree it all adds up though.

OP I also have some things I'd like to donate.

[quote SpanielMcDaniel]For those of you looking to donate your shoes theres a great charity called Sal's Shoes that you can post outgrown shoes to. www.salsshoes.com/[/quote]
Thank you.

Do people really think their kids feet will be wrecked if they don't get them fitted with Clarks? The person who would feel so guilty about buying supermarket shoes? Get a grip

This ^^

The pastoral manager at the school I work at had to take a girl shoe shopping because the sole of her shoe was held on with an elastic band. It's heartbreaking.

That is so sad, I'm glad pastoral care stepped in.

I think sometimes it's a matter of poor choices by parents.

I've seen children on the bus (pre-Covid) wearing winter coats in summer and sandals in winter (presumably because that's all they have) yet the mothers have French Tips, tats, hair extensions, designer eye-brows, smartphones and stink out the bus-stop with their fags.
The same mums in supermarkets fill their trolleys with crisps, biscuits and junk food.

Something wrong somewhere.

@JustAnotherPoster00ust

I use public transport a lot - do you have a problem with that?

Its not about your use of public transport its the reductive disproven right wing narrative for the reasons for poverty in this country that you use, its isnt feckless parents its the inequality baked into ideological government policy

Are we ignoring the Sure Start centres opened under Labour and closed by the tories, are we also ignoring the massive cut to welfare spending on disabled and working parents by the tune of billions? The bedroom tax? The 5 week wait for universal credit? Sure you had it worse under Labour?

To which I would add the so-called "affordable" social housing, where rents are set at the LHA rate for the size of the property. Where I live, this is now £276pw for a 3-bed. The benefit cap is £384.62 pw, so they have a little over £100 pw to meet all their needs, including 20% of their council tax (easily £6pw).

I'm shocked that so many people have so little idea of how tough things are for many families.

I haven’t read the whole thread...

I’m often surprised by the number of shoes children have. My kids have school shoes, trainers, wellies and crocs. Never any more than that. Some of their friends have 4, 5 or even more pairs of trainers or shoes! I never understood it. And yes, some of the children with lots of shoes have parents with very little money.

@woodhill

Kowari - This was back in the 70s but your post reminded me and I remember growing into things

My family were hard up and I got a scholarship to an independent grammar that had ridiculous uniform requirements (it could only be bought from two independent department stores). All my uniform was bought extra long so that my parents wouldn't have to buy it again.

I stopped growing at 12. In 5th form (y11?), everyone else had a nice, short, games skirt, mine was still round my knees.

The cost of my uniform was so monstrous that I can still remember the prices of some of it, but it's all in pre-decimal currency.

Whats wrong with supermarket wellies?

@JustAnotherPoster00

"Its not about your use of public transport its the reductive disproven right wing narrative for the reasons for poverty in this country that you use, its isnt feckless parents its the inequality baked into ideological government policy"

So how come child poverty went up by 100,000 under the Labour Government of 2005?

I'm old enough to remember when only private schools had uniforms in primary

Really? I'm 65 and primaries had uniform when I was at school. And in many areas, the infants and junior schools were stand-alone schools, so a complete change of uniform was required at 7.

It was "proper" uniform too, blazer, tie etc. I don't think sweatshirts had been invented then!

There were vouchers available to help with uniform costs for poorer families though, even Croydon's Tory council did them. Another thing gone because of local government cuts.

I feel for teenagers who are in that phase where they’re terribly self conscious about the brand they’re wearing. They all notice. Mine went to the worst comp in our area and say ‘everyone’ wears the extremely expensive ones. Like £150 trainers.
The sites such as D Pop are good for recycling for brand conscious teens who are still growing. Agree with the pp who says hers were in adult sizes by 12.
This thread has reminded me I have two pairs of immaculate £80 Skechers black school shoes. I will see if I can donate somewhere local and save a couple of teens their street cred!

So how come child poverty went up by 100,000 under the Labour Government of 2005?

neo liberalism a failed broken ideology that all PM's since Thatcher (may she continue to rot) have ascribed to, but who gives a fuck about 2005 that was 16 years ago ample time to have fixed it

@JustAnotherPoster00

"neo liberalism a failed broken ideology that all PM's since Thatcher (may she continue to rot) have ascribed to, but who gives a fuck about 2005 that was 16 years ago ample time to have fixed it"

Ever heard the expression 'you can't fix stupid'? You could give some parents all the money in the world but they'd still spaff it all up the wall while their kids suffered.
You've obviously never lived in a inner-city area.

The social security benefits system was meant to provide subsistence living when faced with hard times, not to provide a lifestyle choice.

Our local primary and several others I know of locally (NE) have a few parent volunteers who do a 'uniform bank' so parents hand in donations of anything from polo shirts to coats, shoes, fancy dress costumes, wellies...

My area of work is welfare and honestly we visit so many homes were they struggle to buy food never mind shoes.

My own DC (we are not well off particularly)

Oldest needs wellies, trainers, football boots (indoor and outdoor), school shoes...

Football Boots and Trainers we include in Christmas or Birthdays so he quite often has a spare pair in a half size bigger... His school are picky with shoes but I managed to get a pair from Next size 7 for £30 which have lasted him well so far...

Youngest actually needs new footwear. He had wellies, trainers and Slippers. GP are buying him trainers for his birthday in March.

Even supermarket brands add up if you need to change sizes quickly. To be honest I've always bought school shoes from Asda, they have lasted well, fit well and DS was always happy with them throughout primary

The social security benefits system was meant to provide subsistence living when faced with hard times, not to provide a lifestyle choice.

Youre like a Daily Mail bingo card

Schools in the are where I lived had 'good-as-new uniform sales. Parents brought in unwanted/outgrown clothes etc and these were sold on commission (very reasonably) with a % going to the parent and some to the school.

They were open in the school gym during the holidays, before term started so parents could kit-out their DCs ready for the new term.

I had a sister, so she had my school clothes passed down to her.

@LakieLady

I must admit my dds school skirts were long in Y7 as they were £36 only in John Lewis and I refused to have them altered so they lasted. The uniform was expensive so dm helped out

@JustAnotherPoster00

'Youre like a Daily Mail bingo card'

I have no idea what you're talking about (it doesn't sound complimentary, but then I 'm not a Daily Mail reader) but don't let throwing insults get in the way of a logical argument.