When notjust launched its brilliant novelty Christmas jumpers earlier this year, showcasing Gareth Southgate’s infamous waistcoat and ‘David Attenbrrr!’, the social enterprise promised to match each sale with a free jumper for a homeless person.
This week, notjust achieved its aim of supplying 5,000 jumpers to those in need, with the garments set to be distributed on Christmas Jumper Day. The specially-designed knits have been created with rough sleepers in mind (so they’ll be really warm), and will also come with a care package.
HuffPost readers have been part of that success story, after responding to coverage of the jumpers in our HuffPost: HumanKind advent calendar, which celebrates the good deeds people are doing for others througout December.
A spokesperson told us that HuffPost readers had been “so crucial to helping us reach these numbers, so a massive thanks to all”.
With help from Gareth Southgate – who received his own ‘Christmas is Coming Home Waistcoat’ knit during the annual Sports Personality of the Year celebrations – notjust has also raised more than £3,000 for Kicking Off, a charity that provides football tournaments around the world for refugees.
Sir David Attenborough was also presented with an ‘Attenbrrr!’ jumper during a broadcast of the Jo Whiley Show.
On Christmas Jumper Day (14 December), volunteers will distribute 5,000 practical jumpers to homeless people across the UK.
Mike Harding, founder of notjust, said: “Our jumpers were inspired by icons who have bought the nation together and looked out for other people, bringing hope and joy to those around them.
“With the profits raised from our jumpers, we wanted to emulate these icons. Distributing these jumpers to the homeless across the UK and raising money for Kicking Off is a small step towards our goal.”
Last year the social enterprise raised significant funds for vulnerable children with their Jeremy Corbyn inspired ‘Jerry Christmas’ festive knit – a campaign that saw the Labour leader post a photo from Westminster sporting the iconic jumper.
A limited number of special edition festive knits are still available on the notjust website. The social enterprise said profits from all jumpers sold will continue to be used to tackle the homeless across the UK.