Sal’s Shoes
600. CJ Bowry
A Kenley-based volunteer has founded the innovative charity Sal’s Shoes, helping impoverished children across the world.
CJ Bowry, from Surrey, was inspired by the good condition of her son’s outgrown shoes to create ‘Sal’s Shoes’, a charity distributing children’s shoes around the world. Starting with a network of family and friends, CJ has expanded the charity rapidly into Cambodia, Iraq, Malawi and Nepal. This award will mark CJ giving away the charity’s 100,000th pair of shoes. CJ is the UK’s 600th Point of Light.
In a personal letter to CJ, Prime Minister Theresa May said:
“The concept behind Sal’s Shoes is brilliantly simple, but the tremendous hard work and dedication you have committed to the project means it is having an incredible impact all around the world”.
CJ said:
‘I don’t think we can change the world, but if we all play a part we can make a difference; from the children who donate their pre-loved shoes to the Sal’s Shoes volunteers who sort and pack them and send them off to find their new feet, to the logistics companies who ensure their safe passage to their new owners. In just under 3 years, Sal’s Shoes have now got over 100,000 pairs of pre-loved shoes walking again in 32 countries around the world including in the UK.’