Kind-hearted shoppers are putting their heart and ‘sole’ into supporting a shoe recycling scheme in aid of a children’s charity.

Thousands of pairs of unwanted shoes have been collected by the team at Clarks in Eagles Meadow Shopping Centre in Wrexham as part of the company’s ShoeSHARE scheme which raises funds for UNICEF.

The response from customers has been so great that staff at the Eagles Meadow store have sent 200 flip-top bins full to the charity.

The shoes, which should be paired, wearable and in reasonable condition, are collected and processed via a reuse company partner with any funds generated going directly to UNICEF which uses the cash to change children’s lives through its innovative ‘School in a Box’ scheme.

‘School in a Box’ transforms any space into a learning area, with enough resources to educate 40 children, allowing them the chance to learn no matter where they are or what disaster has struck them.

Some of the better quality shoe donations also make their way to West Africa where they help provide access to quality footwear at affordable prices.

Lynn Vallance, store manager says the scheme has proved a huge success in Wrexham and thanked shoppers for playing their part in raising vital UNICEF funds.

She said: “It’s incredible really; we get more donations when children are off school and parents are buying new school shoes for their children. But we also get lots of adult shoes too. Each shoe that is donated, no matter what the condition, helps UNICEF change children’s lives by providing the means to buy educational equipment such as School in a Box.

“These boxes can transform any space into a learning zone allowing children the chance to get an education no matter where they are.”

She added: “As a company Clarks have worked in partnership with UNICEF for a decade now helping to fund educational projects through shoe donations.

“The ShoeShare scheme operates in more than 450 Clarks stores and outlets right across the UK. However, our customers are really generous and I can’t believe we have filled more than 200 large flip-top bins full of shoes since we first opened.

"That’s made a huge difference to a great many poor children across the African continent.”