“FLIP-FLOPS may not be fashionable but they are certainly a better look than bandaged feet!”
That's not necessarily what Ghandi had in mind, but an army of Street Pastors certainly do. They have been helping the not so-down-at-heel Liverpool girl when she has had enough of those Jimmy Choos/Asda George six-inchers (delete as applicable).
The Street Pastors, an inter-denominational group who talk and listen with people on the city centre streets at night, are handing out flip-flops to the city's night-time bevy of women revellers who end up footsore – and in accident and emergency units – after a night out.
Some women attempt to walk home from Liverpool city centre with no shoes – usually because their feet are sore from wearing high heels all night (ahem, nods of recognition here).
Slippers
Inevitably some of them end up in hospital suffering from lacerations when they step on broken glass. Ouch.
Using donations from various sources, the Pastors have already been buying slippers from pound shops - not to complement the sartorial choices of the daytime pyjama-wearing lovely, but to hand out to women who are walking home barefoot.
Now they will be able to give them a further leg up as Citysafe, Liverpool’s Community safety partnership and Liverpool Trading Standards Alcohol and Tobacco Unit, have foot the £1,000 bill to buy 500 pairs of flip-flops which the Street Pastors will give to those in need.
Councillor Ann O’Byrne, city council cabinet member for community safety, said; “We have a thriving night-life in the city with more than 100,000 people visiting Concert Square and Mathew Street at the week-end and it is estimated that 30,000 walk between them.
“Because of aching feet or broken heels some women try and walk barefooted and end up in hospital.
“We want to reduce the burden on accident and emergency units and we are delighted that the street pastors are giving them out."
