General Queries:

Where do the shoeboxes go?

The shoeboxes this year are going to deprived children/vulnerable adults/families in Ukraine, Romania, Bosnia, Moldova and Georgia

Does Teams4U add religious or political materials to/with the boxes?

No. Each box is an unconditional gift from one person to another, no strings attached.

Can I go to give out shoeboxes?

Yes. We aim to run a shoebox distribution trip every year which is open for people to join. If you are interested in applying to travel with us in 2023 please complete our online ‘expression of interest’ form.

Do I need to pre-book to drop off a shoebox?

No. But please do check our Shoebox Drop-off locations for their opening times.

What E-resources do you have available?

We have e-versions of our leaflet, labels, posters and even Shoebox Assembly materials for schools. Please visit our Downloadable Resources page.

Can I give you a donation to make a Shoebox for me?

Yes. We are offering to make up quality shoebox gifts for £15. To see an example of what it could look like, have a glance here. You can donate £15 by following this link

Contents/Box Queries:

I’ve never done a shoebox before. Can you tell me what to put in?

Please take a look at our shoebox guide which gives a list of items you can include and the items we ask you not to put in. We also have some lovely videos showing an example of a box for each age range on our YouTube Channel.

Can I add liquids to my box?

Yes. We are accepting small bottles of shampoo/conditioner/shower gel/bubbles etc. provided these have an unbroken seal &/or are foil capped. For bottles that don’t have a seal we suggest you tape round the lid to prevent any accidental spills.

Can I add chocolate to my box?

Yes. We accept chocolate as long as it has a use by date from June 2024.

I don’t have a shoebox. Can I use another box instead?

Yes. Please keep to these approximate dimensions if possible: 17cm depth, 28cm length & 12cm height, though we will accept larger boxes. We do reserve the right to re-pack contents into an alternative container if necessary to meet our packing requirements.

How can I get an empty shoebox?

Most shoe shops still transport their shoes in boxes, even if they don’t stack the shoes in their boxes on the shelves. Most are generally willing to give you an empty shoebox if you ask.

Alternatively, if you are local to one of our warehouses, please pop in and ask for a spare shoebox.

You can also order our printed flat-pack shoeboxes at 43p each from the order resources page.

Does the shoebox have to be a certain size?

We kindly ask that you use a standard sized shoebox (Approximately Ladies UKSize 6/7, or around these dimensions: 17cm depth, 28cm length & 12cm height)* for your gift. We know this isn’t always possible and will do our utmost to preserve your gift even if it comes in a larger box. However, in some cases, we do have to change a shoebox to meet our packing requirements.

*The exception to this is the Home Box. We will accept boot/walking shoe sized boxes for these, as the items to include sometimes don’t fit in a standard sized shoebox.

Leaflet Queries:

Can I download a leaflet?

Yes. Please visit our Downloadable Resources page.

I am doing multiple shoeboxes but only have one leaflet?

Instead of needing more leaflets we have labels available to download and print from here. Please visit our Downloadable Resources page.

Drop-off/Collection Queries:

Where is my nearest Drop-off point?

Please visit our Shoebox Drop-off locations page. Please note the deadlines vary area by area and between some of the drop-off points.

What is the deadline for dropping off by box?

If you have received a leaflet from a school please contact them to find out when your boxes need to be in by. Otherwise, please check the deadlines in your local area by visiting our Shoebox Coordinators page or Shoebox Drop-off locations page. We kindly ask that all shoeboxes are in by Friday 1st December (but some areas may have dates earlier than this so please do check).

I need to arrange a shoebox collection. Who do I call?

Please visit our Shoebox Coordinators page for contact details for your area.

“Teams4U is all about drawing alongside children, showing them someone cares about them and believes in them. We want to be dream-makers, the kind of people that challenge these often forgotten-about kids and ask them what they want to be, what do they want to do? We are about helping remove the obstacles that can prevent these kids from achieving their hopes and plans (such as our education programmes in Romania and Develop with Dignity programme in Uganda) but we want to go deeper than that. We want to help these kids believe in themselves; sow that one seed that says they can achieve what they want to achieve.”

“Teams4U is all about drawing alongside children, showing them someone cares about them and believes in them. We want to be dream-makers, the kind of people that challenge these often forgotten-about kids and ask them what they want to be, what do they want to do? We are about helping remove the obstacles that can prevent these kids from achieving their hopes and plans (such as our education programmes in Romania and Develop with Dignity programme in Uganda) but we want to go deeper than that. We want to help these kids believe in themselves; sow that one seed that says they can achieve what they want to achieve.”

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