The organisers of a campaign to collect old shoes to pass on to refugees have praised all those who got involved.

Helen Jones from Ivybridge and Nicola Harrison, both students of podiatry at Plymouth University, launched the campaign after they became aware of the effects of poorly fitting shoes on feet.

The pair were also inspired by a podiatry-led volunteer programme called The Foot Project - Greece, which showed them how desperately needed secondhand footwear is to refugees throughout Europe.

Helen and Nicola got in touch with those running the programme and asked if they would be interested in receiving donations of footwear. They were put in touch with charity CalAid, who told them they could send a shipment of donations to their UK base in Slough, to be sent out to Greece.

Helen and Nicola got together with fellow students to encourage local schools to get involved. Parents were asked to donate their too-small, unused or unworn footwear at the end of the academic year, and members of the public were also invited to donate.

The campaign, named Footwear for Rewear, was a great success. Helen said: "We collected, sifted, boxed and shipped between 400 and 500 shoes of all shapes and sizes, all of which have been gratefully received by Calaid in Greece on behalf of the refugees who they support.

"We shall facilitate future collections and will promote these via schools and community groups, media publications and social media but, in the meantime, please keep collecting."

Helen and Nicola thanked the schools that took part: Woodlands Park Primary, The Erme Primary and Manor Primary in Ivybridge; Cornwood Primary; Stoke Fleming Primary; Glen Park Primary in Plympton; and Burraton Country Primary in Saltash.

They also thanked South Brent Church and retired reverend Derek Hamlin.