Box of Socks

What it is

One box. One pair at a time.

Box of Socks is a winter appeal that collects brand-new socks for people who are homeless. Each school taking part puts out a Box of Socks. Pupils, families and staff drop in a new pair, and when the boxes are full every pair goes to Stonepillow, the homelessness charity.

Box of Socks was started by Elsie Valentine Helyer when she was a pupil at Boundary Oak School. The idea came from meeting homeless people on the coldest winter days and spending her pocket money buying them a hot coffee, then making sandwiches for them every Saturday. To help them keep warm, she asked her school to collect the one thing every child could afford to give: new socks. What began as one box has now collected more than 1,000 pairs, and this winter six schools across Hampshire are joining in.

It’s a simple idea. Socks are cheap to buy and easy to give, and for someone sleeping outside a dry, warm pair matters a great deal.