Businessman socks it to homeless charity

Britain’s fastest-growing manufacturer has decided to donate socks to homeless people this winter.

Ryan Palmer, co-founder of the London Sock Company and who lives in Streatham, has teamed up with Crisis, the national charity for homeless people, to supply the socks throughout October.

The initiative, called Sock-tober, is being launched with the London Sock Company.

For every pair of socks sold during the month, a special pair of durable socks will be donated to Crisis for the charity to distribute.

Mr Palmer said: “As winter and the cold nights draw nearer we are delighted to link up with Crisis and donate a nice, warm pair of socks for every pair we sell.

“I’ve seen first-hand the work Crisis does, so this is a charity very close to my heart.

“It is a fantastic charity that helps so many people in need. We’re delighted to have joined forces with it this October and give a little help to the helpless.

“Little things can make a big difference, and by supporting our brand you become part of our growing ambition to contribute to initiatives that can really have an impact on others.”

Mr Palmer and Dave Pickard were former corporate professionals who left their jobs in the City of London to create a brand with quality and style – and social responsibility.

The duo were inspired by a picture Ryan found in a batch of materials he inherited from a late relative – the image, dated from 1883, showed five stylish, elegant, well-to-do Victorian gentlemen.

Ryan said: “Each hailed from a different corner of the British Empire, yet were captured together in a unique image. After being passed down with a collection of Victorian artefacts, we came across a Victorian-era book with fantastic sketches and images of dapper British gentlemen, and that fired our imaginations.

We decided we would produce socks for the modern man, inspired by the elegance and panache of the past.

“Our ambition is to capture this sense of assured style, sophistication and British heritage and make it relevant for today’s modern gentleman, within London’s first modern sock brand.”

And it seems to have worked, because the company was recently revealed to be the UK’s fastest growing sock brand.

Investors include Orlebar Brown and website Not on the High Street, male supermodel David Gandy and brand ambassador and British luxury retailer William Asprey.

Ian Richards, head of Christmas at Crisis, said: “Winter can be an especially difficult time for some of our clients, particularly those who are forced to live on the streets. A good pair of socks can make all the difference. On behalf of everyone at Crisis, I’d like to thank the London Sock Company for their generous donation.”

Latest figures reveal that more than 9,000 people are sleeping rough every night in the UK and figures are
predicted to rise.

In England alone homelessness has increased by 16 per cent in the past 12 months and has more than doubled since 2010.

Previously Ryan and the London Sock Company staff have handed out socks to homeless people in London around Christmas time.