Our Charity


History

Former banker Ron Rutland and former Springbok Captain Bob Skinstad were sick of hearing South Africans complain that the problems in our country were too big for anyone to solve. They decided to take something simple and do their best to help as many people they could, from the ground up. Literally. Bob and Ron stared the Bobs for Good Foundation in 2009, and worked like mad to put little feet into brand new, hardwearing, South African made school shoes. Their paths crossed with Eddels, an award winning, progressive shoe factory. Now, Eddels is Bobs for Good’s sole supplier, and together, we have created the Bobs for Good Safety Shoe, which aims to make children walking to school more visible to cars. Today, Bobs for Good has 2 permanent staff (plus trustees and numerous and awesome supporter and volunteer network), who work to bring about change and get little feet into shoes! We have shod over 25 000 children, and we want to keep on helping these children take steps towards a brighter future. It takes something as simple as a pair of shoes to bring a child hope, pride and dignity, and we’re putting our best foot forward.

Mission

Bobs for Good is dedicated to making sure less little feet are ever dusty, dirty, sore or tired again.

Vision

To provide needy South African children with a pair of quality, leather, locally made school shoes, bringing hope, pride and dignity to themselves, their schools and communities.

The Foundation

When we started Bobs for Good, it was as a social enterprise inspired by the likes of TOMS shoes, where we would sell men’s moccasins and slops on a buy-one-give-one basis, thus raising money for school shoes for underprivileged children in a self-sustainable way. However, we soon realised we where a lot better and more inspired by providing school shoes to children, than selling big ones to adults! Once the work of delivering school shoes started in ernest, people began offering to contribute towards buying school shoes, but without having to buy a pair of moccasins in the process. So, being flexible blokes, we decided to go with the flow and focus on doing whatever we could to increase the positive social impact of our efforts and resources – and that is donating little shoes rather than selling big ones. So, after taking on much positive advice and learning the options available, it was decided that operating as a Trust would be the best way forward. So, after a long procedure, the Bobs for Good Foundation was officially registered as a trust on the 6th of September 2010, and in December 2011 the Foundation officially became a Public Beneficiary Organisation, and it’s stayed that way ever since.

We rely on the donations of big corporations, small companies, and passionate individuals to keep buying and donating shoes to the children who need them most. We don’t however buy into ‘sit back and wait’ attitude, so we’re always getting involved in events and activities, pushing our boundaries and pulling our muscles to raise funds and awareness for Bobs for Good. Because if we don’t get involved ourselves, how can we expect you to?

Email Address: info@bobsforgood.com.

 

Visit The Bobs for Good Foundation Website