Before addressing the 81st United Nations General Assembly last month, United Kingdom Prime Minister Andy Burnham walked through Central Park in New York City for a prior commitment.

He connected with Josh Turner, founder of Stand4 Socks (PPAI 900097, Standard-Base), a Certified B Corp. that, for every pair it sells, donates antibacterial socks to someone experiencing homelessness. More than 875,000 pairs have been donated across the UK, Europe, Ukraine and the United States, the supplier says.

  • Founded in 2015, Stand4 Socks was built in Manchester and expanded into the U.S. in 2022.


Socks are such a small thing, but dignity is made of small things.”

Josh Turner

Founder, Stand4 Socks

The meeting, requested by the prime minister, focused on the role that social enterprise can play in tackling homelessness, which has been a priority for Burnham since taking office. Socks are the most requested item by homeless shelters and one of the least donated, according to nonprofits like Delivering Good.

  • For someone who may walk considerably further than the average person each day without access to a clean, dry pair, this contributes to health problems, including infection and, in severe cases, amputation.


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“I first met Andy Burnham when he was Mayor of Greater Manchester and we were a small sock company still working out what we were doing,” Turner says. “Sitting on a park bench with him in New York, on a day he was addressing the United Nations and meeting President Trump and President Zelensky, is a fairly surreal distance from a crazy idea about changing the world with socks.”

Turner presented Burnham with a pair of custom socks bearing his own face, using the artwork of acclaimed Manchester illustrator Stanley Chow.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham meets Josh Turner, founder of Stand4Socks in Central Park. Photo credit: Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street

Burnham’s response: “I don’t know what to make of that.” He went on to praise the model of social entrepreneurship, saying: “You get on and you give back.”

It’s a reminder that branded merchandise can carry an impact far beyond the logo printed on it. Something as ordinary as a pair of socks can become a vehicle for giving, helping companies connect a tangible product with a larger purpose while addressing a basic need that often goes overlooked.

“What stayed with me,” Turner says, “was how seriously [Burnham] is taking this. Socks are such a small thing, but dignity is made of small things.”