Fashion footwear retailer schuh is partnering with long-standing charity partner The Proud Trust to transform its Manchester Market Street Community Window into a space for conversation, connection and belonging, celebrating LGBTQ+ voices and exploring what “home” means to different people.
Launching as part of schuh’s ongoing commitment to creating spaces that champion community and self-expression, the installation has been created in partnership with The Proud Trust, an LGBTQ+ youth charity empowering young people to be proud of who they are.
Inspired by the welcoming library corner at The Proud Trust’s Manchester community hub – a space for connection, conversation and belonging – the Community Window will recreate a relaxed, homely environment within schuh’s Manchester Market Street store. Members of the Manchester community will be invited to sit with a Proud Trust youth worker and share their own interpretations of home – whether that’s a person, a place, a feeling or a community.
These conversations will mirror the supportive mentoring approach The Proud Trust provides to LGBTQ+ young people, creating a safe and welcoming space where individuals can reflect, share their experiences and celebrate their identities.
Captured as a series of relaxed, documentary-style interview videos filmed from outside the storefront, the stories will showcase the diverse experiences of the Manchester community while highlighting the importance of connection, acceptance and belonging.
The installation forms part of schuh’s wider Do More Good social impact strategy, launched earlier this year to formalise the brand’s ongoing commitment to creating meaningful positive impact for its people, customers and communities. Built around three key pillars – Wellbeing & Connection, Culture & Community, and Environment – Do More Good focuses on supporting wellbeing, championing underrepresented communities and encouraging more sustainable ways of working.
Robert Cobbina, purpose marketing manager at schuh, said: “This installation brings Do More Good to life by celebrating community, connection and belonging. Our longstanding partnership with The Proud Trust reflects our shared commitment to creating more inclusive spaces, and we’re proud to use our Community Window to amplify LGBTQ+ voices and celebrate the stories that make our communities unique.”
The Proud Trust has been a charity partner of schuh since 2020. The Manchester-based organisation now with national reach delivers youth work and one-to-one support across Greater Manchester and beyond, alongside national training and inclusion programmes for schools, Proud Connections Live Chat and the management of Manchester’s LGBTQ+ Centre, The Proud Place.
The Community Window is schuh’s community-led window concept, launched earlier this year. More than a retail display, the initiative was created to transform schuh’s Market Street store into a platform for local talent, giving young creatives the opportunity to showcase their work and celebrate Manchester’s vibrant cultural landscape.
Alongside the Community Window installation, schuh will continue its wider support of The Proud Trust throughout Pride season, including fundraising through its charity tote bags across participating stores. schuh will also celebrate Manchester Pride with Converse at its Market Street store on 29 August, hosting an in-store activation featuring a DJ, aura station, glitter bar and giveaways.
