Standoutsocks

28/05/2026

Meet Joseph 🏃‍♂️

This weekend, Joseph will be taking on the Great Manchester Run alongside an amazing team from 🙌

The team is made up of 40 runners of all abilities, including 10 runners with Down syndrome!

Honestly, we absolutely love it.

We’ve admired Joseph from afar for a while now and felt we had to share his story with our Stand Out community, because he represents so much of what we believe in — confidence, ambition, inclusion and proving what people with Down syndrome are truly capable of when they’re given opportunity and belief.

Last year Joseph completed TEN 10k runs (yes… TEN 🤯), inspiring others around him to get involved too — including Thomas Derricott, who recently smashed his very first 10k.

And just a couple of weeks ago, Joseph was invited to Buckingham Palace after receiving his British Empire Medal 👏🇬🇧

An unbelievable achievement and so well deserved.

If you’d like to support Joseph and the team, you can donate here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/joseph-adams-1?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL

Good luck Joseph and the entire DSM gang — we’ll all be cheering you on this weekend 💥🧦❤️

27/05/2026

Last week, we took a chance and posted two open letters to businesses we genuinely admire ❤️
One to OddBalls.
One to Sir John Timpson & the Timpson Group.

We never expected what happened next.
The CEO of OddBalls personally got in touch with us.
And incredibly, we’re in touch with Sir John Timpson too.

Honestly, it still doesn’t feel real.

As a small family business, moments like this mean absolutely everything. Not because of titles or status — but because these are businesses and people we deeply respect for the way they treat others, create opportunities, and lead with kindness.

At Stand Out Socks 🧦, we’re trying to build something with those same values.
A business where people with Down syndrome and learning disabilities are given real paid employment, real opportunities, and a chance to prove what they’re capable of.

The support over the last week reminded us how powerful good people and good businesses can be when they choose to help others coming up behind them ❤️

So today, we’re taking another chance.

An Open Letter to the Team / Nick Jenkins 👋
What we love most is that you’ve built a company centred around helping people connect, celebrate others, and make people feel seen. In a world that can sometimes feel disconnected, that kind of business really matters.

So this is our open letter to ask:
If there’s any chance at all of speaking with someone from the Moonpig leadership team, Nick Jenkins or Raithatha — even briefly — it would honestly mean the world to us. A conversation, a few words of advice, or guidance from a brand we genuinely admire would be incredibly appreciated.

And regardless, thank you for continuing to build a business centred around making people feel valued and connected ❤️

Ross, Christian & Natalie x

26/05/2026

Hot in the unit today… fans on full blast 🌡️🧦

But while most people are trying to cool down, the Stand Out team are still packing orders, sorting socks and keeping the banter flowing 😂

One thing about this place… the energy never drops, no matter the temperature.

Proud of this team every single day ❤️

PurposeDrivenBusines

22/05/2026

If you know our Oliver, you’ll know he’s got one of those infectious loves for music and live festivals. It’s a huge part of who he is.

This weekend he’s heading off to in Warrington, and he’s been counting down the days. He’s been working incredibly hard lately and is a real credit to everyone around him at Stand Out Socks and in the wider community.

Yesterday he was especially excited talking about seeing perform. It’s the kind of moment he’ll be talking about for a long time.

We’d absolutely love to try and make something special happen for him—if there’s any way of arranging a quick meet and greet or even a brief hello backstage, it would genuinely mean the world to him.

If anyone has contacts at the festival, with the artist team, or knows how these things are best arranged, please reach out. Even pointing us in the right direction would be hugely appreciated.

Let’s see if we can make a great weekend even more unforgettable for him.

21/05/2026

An Open Letter to Sir John Timpson & the Group Team 👋

Over the next few weeks, we’re reaching out to a small number of businesses and people we genuinely admire to ask for guidance as we continue growing Stand Out Socks 🧦

As a family business ourselves, there are very few companies we feel truly aligned with in the way we do with Timpson. What you’ve built goes far beyond retail. You’ve created a business known for kindness, trust, second chances, and giving opportunities to people who are too often overlooked.

That means a lot to us because at Stand Out Socks, that’s exactly what we’re trying to do too.

We’re a purpose-led sock company creating paid employment opportunities for people with Down syndrome and learning disabilities. What started as a small family-run business packing orders by hand has grown into something much bigger — but we’re still learning every single day.

Seeing Timpson receive The King’s Awards for Enterprise for Promoting Opportunity in 2024 was incredibly inspiring to us. This year, we were honoured to receive the same award in 2026, and it made us feel even more connected to the values Timpson represents.

Yesterday, after posting a similar message to OddBalls, the CEO personally got in touch with us. We honestly didn’t expect the response the post received, and we just want to say thank you to everyone who shared it, tagged people, and supported us ❤️

It reminded us how powerful good people and good businesses can be when they choose to help others coming up behind them.

So this is our open letter to ask:
If there’s any chance at all of speaking with Sir John Timpson — even briefly — it would honestly mean the world to us. A conversation, a few words of advice, or guidance from someone we respect so much would be incredibly appreciated.

Thank you for everything you continue to stand for as a family business ❤️
Ross, Christian & Natalie x

20/05/2026

An open letter for help!!!

Hi OddBalls team 👋

Over the next few weeks, we’re going to be reaching out to a few people and businesses we really admire to ask for a bit of guidance and support as we continue growing Stand Out Socks 🧦.

You’re one of the brands at the top of that list.

We’ve followed what you’ve built at OddBalls for a long time and genuinely respect how you’ve created such a strong, recognisable brand while keeping things fun, bold, and community-driven. It’s exactly the kind of journey we look up to.

At Stand Out Socks, we’re building a purpose-led sock brand that creates paid employment for people with Down syndrome and learning disabilities.

Our mission is personal to us, and we’re working hard to grow a business that proves inclusion and commercial success can go hand in hand.

We’re still a small team, but we’ve been growing quickly — from packing orders by hand and running everything ourselves, to building wholesale partnerships and scaling into new channels. As we take the next steps, we’re keen to learn from people who’ve already been through that journey.

If someone from OddBalls or a founder (Richard Metcalfe) could spare even an hour for a conversation, it would genuinely mean a lot.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this, and respect for everything you’ve built.

Warmly,
Christian & Ross

19/05/2026

Last week was absolute madness after our appearance on BBC Breakfast 📺🧦

Orders flying in, messages coming from everywhere and the whole place running at 100mph…

But our staff have absolutely smashed it ❤️

Every order packed with care, every challenge taken in their stride and every single person stepping up when we needed it most.

People often see the TV moments… but they don’t always see the team behind the scenes making it all happen.

We couldn’t be prouder of what this team continues to achieve at Stand Out Socks.

Inclusion isn’t charity.It’s talent being given an opportunity to shine.

Thank you team 👏

TeamWork DisabilityInclusion PurposeDrivenBusiness

14/05/2026

This week we introduced the new Stand Out Cockalier, Zeek, to all the staff 🐶🧦

Zeek won’t understand it yet… but I genuinely don’t think there’ll be a more loved dog on the planet ❤️

And honestly, there’s nothing quite like a dog’s happy face when you walk into work every morning.

Forget coffee… that level of excitement wakes you up faster than anything ☕😂

Safe to say he’s officially part of the Stand Out Socks team now.

Inclusion FeelGood SmallBusiness TeamStandOut DogsAtWork

13/05/2026

You know things are getting weird when a letter from the Prime Minister lands on your doorstep 👀🇬🇧

Today we received a letter congratulating us on our recent The King’s Awards for Enterprise.

A few years ago we were packing socks in the house… now we’re getting letters from Downing Street. Madness 😂🧦

Huge thanks to everyone who’s supported Stand Out Socks along the way. Still feels bizarre seeing our little sock company getting recognised at this level.

12/05/2026