A RUNNING retailer in York has teamed up with a running sock brand to support homeless people in the city - as well as around the country.

In December, York specialist running retailer, Up & Running, teamed up with technical running sock brand, Balega, to deliver warm socks to local homeless people.

For every pair of Balega running socks sold throughout December online and in Up & Running stores, an equivalent number of specially designed warm woolly socks was donated to the homeless.

Now that non-essential retail stores have reopened, Up & Running is "proud" to announce that the Peasholme Charity in York has now received over 150 pairs of socks to give to the community they support.

Yvonne Morrissey, Peasholme Charity manager, said: “Due to Covid-19 restrictions, we’ve been unable to accept physical donations at our head office for some time now, so we are absolutely thrilled that local business Up & Running got in touch, offering to donate socks to our homeless charity."

Across the country, Up & Running and Balega have donated 3000 pairs to various homeless charities and projects. Store staff were able to nominate homeless projects near to Up & Running shops, which is part of the Up & Running ethos of giving back and supporting our local communities.

George Cunningham, head of retail operations at Up and Running, said: “We are so pleased that this campaign has been such a success and we have been able to donate socks across the country, to projects local to our shops and customers.

"We believe that supporting local businesses has never been more important and we would like to thank all of our customers for shopping local and through buying local they have been able to make this fantastic contribution."