UK-based leprosy charity Lepra, have brought together a star-studded line up from the world of sport, film and TV, to support the 98 year old organisation’s annual Giving Tuesday celebrity shoe auction.
Introduced by long-term supporter, Dame Joanna Lumley OBE, the charity’s 2022 campaign is being supported by celebrities such as: Film star Dame Judi Dench, cricket legend Virat Kohli, golfing icon Rory Mcllroy, cult-TV star Danny John-Jules and more!
This year, Giving Tuesday falls on 29 November. For Lepra, Giving Tuesday has become ‘Giving Shoesday’, an annual celebration of everything that shoes and footwear represent, for people with leprosy and lymphatic filariasis (LF).
For people affected by leprosy, the importance of Lepra’s specialist protective footwear extends beyond the physiological and protective benefits, they have come to represent the very rights, hopes and expectations we all share as human beings. They are a symbol of dignity, a symbol of independence and a symbol of freedom. Lepra’s protective footwear helps people to retain their employment and livelihood, to access education and healthcare, and to maintain family life and friendships. Costing just £6 to produce, even a small donation to the charity can have a life-changing impact of a person affected by leprosy.
Lepra’s protective footwear allows people to lead a life without the fear of prejudice and discrimination which still surrounds a diagnosis. They are custom-made at our referral centres and mobile footwear units by our specialist technicians, from a special material called multicellular rubber (MCR). Our modern footwear is indistinguishable from other shoes and sandals, with the wearer given the choice of different styles and colours. Choice is important. It is an important step in giving someone back control of their lives, at a time where so many are living in fear of their diagnosis and what the future may hold.
To find out more about the celebrity shoe auction and to watch two very special ‘Giving Shoesday’ video messages from the amazing Dame Joanna Lumley OBE and Danny John-Jules, visit:
