A BICESTER Village shop has partnered with a charity to offer young students in Oxford a free pair of shoes for the new school term.

Clarks has partnered with IntoUniversity, a charity that Bicester Village supports through its DO GOOD programme, to give young students at its local Blackbird Leys a complimentary pair of trainers or shoes.

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A dozen students visited the store with their parents on Tuesday to claim their new shoes.

Grant, an IntoUniversity student, said: “I’m so happy with my new shoes from Clarks at Bicester Village as they’ll help with my confidence and also allow me to be creative.”

IntoUniversity is a national education charity which runs local learning centres that are inclusive of all academic abilities, and helps young people to achieve their chosen aspirations through a combination of academic support, mentoring and aspiration-raising workshops.

The charity currently runs 35 centres in 18 towns and cities across the UK. In 2020, 71 per cent of IntoUniversity students secured a university place compared with 26 per cent of school leavers from similar backgrounds.

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A representative from the Clarks boutique at Bicester Village said: “It’s a pleasure to be collaborating with IntoUniversity and DO GOOD to help encourage these young students as they explore their options for the future. We’re really happy to be able to make a difference.”

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