In July 2017, my business, SoleLution, started collecting worn but still wearable shoes from our customers for the children helped by a wonderful charity, Educate the Kids . They help the poorest of the poor by giving them a hand up through education at the Jolaurabi School, just north of Mombasa, Kenya. Many of these children walk miles to get to school and they need shoes to protect their feet. I am looking to raise funds to help me and my family transport these shoes to Kenya and enable us to fit these children with a good fitting pair of shoes.

In July 2017, I started collecting worn shoes through our shops in Clifton Village and Portishead, to help 2 charities - Educate the Kids and Za Foundation - both helping children to a better future in Africa. We have many customers whose children grow out of their shoes before they wear them out and I wanted to give them the option to recycle them, but know where those shoes were going and who they were helping. When I was offered the opportunity to go and visit the Jolaurabi School near Mombasa, Kenya in January 2018 and help fit the shoes we had collected, I jumped at the chance. It was going to be a trip of a lifetime - a one off! How naïve was I! I fell in love with the children and their families. They have nothing but are so welcoming, loving and so very grateful for every opportunity they are given. The teachers at the school who care passionately about providing these children with their education. And the other volunteers I have been lucky to meet who give their time and their money to make a difference. I want to be able to continue to help them year on year.

In 2018, we fitted over 300 pairs of shoes which was a massive achievement, but there are about 800 pupils in the school so most went without on that trip.. My hope was that I would return and give each and every pupil a "new" pair of shoes. That would mean collecting more shoes from our customers, recruiting volunteers to help fly the shoes over and fitting them when we got there. This year we succeeded. Each and every child has now had at least one pair of shoes!

3 of the 6 amazing volunteers who came with me this year are my husband and 2 children. They are easy recruits! We each have 2 cases at 23kg each which we can take with us on the flight (this year we took 12 cases between us and the other 3 volunteers that came with us). This is the easiest way to transport the shoes. The flights alone can be anything from £400 per person.

In 2018, SoleLution won the Footwear Awards Shop Front of the Year. This was the only award to come with a monetary prize - £1500 of travel vouchers. This helped pay for our flights in January this year. I've debated for a long time about asking for help, but in order for us to go next year we will need to raise this money again. Unfortunately we can't afford to do this without your help.

Every penny you can give will help us transport these shoes to the children that so desperately need them. I'm asking family and friends to help me raise the funds rather than give presents. I'm asking anyone who would buy me a drink, whether it be tea, hot chocolate or gin, to give me the money instead towards this goal - I'll just have a glass of water instead (I wouldn't want to deprive you of my company!).

Thank you x