Sub Menu

Social & Environmental Policy

Support For Local Charities

It is our hope that the business can make a meaningful and very positive impact on our community, through any means possible. Direct support for local charities is just one way we try to do good for our community.

The Begg Family have a long history of supporting local causes with our business resources. Presently there are three core chosen charities who are the lead benefactors of charitable donations, including cash fundraising from events, promotions or products from our stores. 

Our chosen charities are:

  • Marie Curie
  • RNLI
  • CLAN

 Begg Shoes Support for Marie Curie

During Spring 2020 Begg Shoes kicked off an ambitious discount and donation campaign, in support of Marie Curie. The promotion was designed to support Marie Curie with 10% direct donation on all sales made by the online store, using a special discount incentive code provided to Begg Shoes customers.

At a time when charity shops and fundraising events are all forced to close or delay, it is hoped that promotions like this could to help to mobilise greater support and awareness for Marie Curie activities, as well as benefiting Begg Shoes and its customers.

For every penny spent in Begg Shoes online store, Begg Shoes offer a further 10% direct donation to Marie Curie. Please click here to read more about how this works and updates on the fundraising success of this campaign.  

Begg Shoes and Moray School Bank

Since 2018 Begg Shoes in Elgin have worked closely with the local campaign charity Moray School Bank which offers much-needed support to struggling families, providing school uniform and critical supplies for local children to start the year with pride and dignity. Our role is to provide high quality, properly fitted footwear. 

The expert team in our Children's shoe store in Elgin, Shoes at 105, offer professional children's shoe fitting and high-quality product to children who may otherwise have worn inappropriately fitting shoes, which can cause permanent damage to vulnerable and developing feet. 

Our business allocates a budget for charitable donations which we are proud to have increased every year and along with our customers and charities, we aim to make a lasting and very positive impact in our local communities.

Begg Shoes and Blythswood Care

Local to our home in Inverness, we have been longstanding supporters of the charity and its major appeals. We donate both new shoes and offer shoe boxes to Blythswood, which runs the fantastic Shoe Box Appeal every Christmas.

We offer shoe boxes and help to collect shoe boxes for the appeal each year in our stores. We are very proud to be part of this project, which brings a little Christmas cheer to thousands of children every year. Read more about this campaign here.

In the past few years we have donated over 1,000 pairs of brand new shoes to Blythswood. The charity sends shoes to Romania and India to help those who all too often do not have the privilege of having any footwear at all. 

Begg Shoes and Sal's Shoes

Sal's Shoes is a volunteer-run charity which collects outgrown, but not outworn shoes for children all over the world. The charity collects and coordinates the direct delivery of shoes which have plenty of life left in them for a new wearer.

Begg Shoes stores started collecting for Sal's in 2020 and aims to help children in our local area recycle shoes in a really positive and ethical way. Many shoe recycling providers aim to monetise shoe donations, and offer a minimal commission to charities to further their work. While we value shoe recycling in principal, we feel that directly shipping shoes to someone who will use them is the best way to forward.

Read more about hin our blog here or visit the Sal's Shoes website to support this great charity directly.

 

Environmental Sustainability Of Begg Shoes

Environmental PolicyOur business is committed to becoming as environmentally sustainable as possible, through decisions and actions that we hope will accumulate to have a meaningful long term effect on our community and the environment.

As a small business, there are a number of practical steps that Begg Shoes takes as a means of helping work towards a sustainable future:

  1. Reducing consumption, waste and pollution
  2. Reusing what we have
  3. Recycling everything we can
  4. Conserving energy, water, and other natural resources
  5. Compliance with all environmental regulations
  6. Striving to buy, sell, and use environmentally friendly products
  7. Educating employees & customers on how we can all make a difference

Specifically, what are we doing to help?

Our business is de-centralised, meaning we do not operate from a central warehouse, thereby generating a large number of additional distribution and delivery miles between our stores. All shoes are bought from suppliers worldwide and delivered direct to our store. This drastically reduces our carbon footprint as transportation between hubs is kept to an absolute minimum and all of our product storage is 'customer-facing' - no road miles to let you see it.

Our shops are lit by low energy LED fittings which has significantly reduced our energy consumption (by nearly 40%) compared to the average retailer operating with older, but cheaper fittings.

Investment in systems to facilitate our new “click & collect” service, reducing delivery van miles to reach your door. We believe that shopping in towns, allows customers to pick up many items on one trip, ideally on foot if living locally, and this contributes to an overall reduction in emissions due to transport.

Biodegradable Packaging

From Summer 2022 our business has switched to biodegradable plastic in single-use mailing bags, used for our online sales. While reusing plastic and carrier bags is the ideal solution, we recognise that there are currently few convenient recycling options for single-use mailing bags, therefore the biodegradable option at least ensures the plastic in use will naturally break down. New solutions for packaging are under constant review.

How can our customers help?

  • Home delivery and returns have a cost to the environment. Please consider that everything you purchase online and subsequently return has an impact on the environment. We suggest that, if any of our shops are in your area, you consider visiting in person where practicable.
  • Try to use our click and collect service. If we have your chosen item in your chosen store there will be no need to use a courier service – thereby reducing emissions and road traffic.
  • If you have a old or unwanted shoes which are still in good condition, drop them off with a local charity for recycling. Sal's Shoes do great work finding a home of worn, but not unworn shoes for children and adult footwear is gratefully received by charities including Blythswood Care.