Fundraising Events

Ken Gray's Coast to Coast Walk

Letter to endorse Ken Gray's initiative to walk coast to coast in 2010 for Footwear Friends

Having engaged and worked with Ken for over twenty years,- yes, he was very young when he started with ISA, it gives me enormous pleasure to endorse his latest personal challenge...to walk coast to coast across Northern England next year. This is strenuous for anyone but the fittest, even more so for Ken, who carries just an extra lb or two.

Fortunately alongside Ken and encouraging him every inch of the way, both in training and on this Wainwright walk is David Jameson. David has run the Three Peaks race, and kayaked around the Isle Of Wight (three days) in 2008, on both occasions to substantially help Footwear Friends.

I've had both the honour and the pleasure to have been the President of Footwear Friends, the unique charity in the shoe trade. This has helped those in dire need since 1836, and currently we distributed over £100,000 to more than 250 beneficiaries. This is funded particularly by initiatives like Ken's, as well as gatherings at Newmarket, Lords etc, together with a reduced income from reserves; and you can read more about these gatherings on our fundraising page.

The charity also launched annual designer awards, giving both a cash prize plus specialist mentoring by shoe experts. The interest has grown amazingly year by year, and is supported and judged by leading members of the industry.

Please give generously to Ken and David, it will help their resolve enormously, while I will be thinking of you as I visit beneficiaries, an occasion which is always both humbling and inspiring … I have just visited a 90 year old war veteran, mentioned in the Italian campaign… what stories.

Many thanks

Richard Paice
Past President

IF YOU HAVE SPONSORED KEN'S WALK VIA OUR ON-LINE DONATION FACILITY, WOULD YOU PLEASE SEND A CONFIRMATION E-MAIL TO INFO@FOOTWEARFRIENDS.ORG.UK WITH THE NAME OF THE CARD HOLDER, WHICH WILL ENSURE THAT YOUR SPONSORSHIP FUNDS WILL BE CREDITED TO THE CORRECT FUNDRAISER