Yesterday I met the definition of the modern gentleman who wants to make a difference. Tom Beecroft is the founder of The Jaunty Flaneur. The term Flaneur is defined as ‘a person who walks the city in order to explore it’. This combined with the phrase jaunty, which means ‘to express a lively and self-confident manner’, encompasses exactly what the company enables its customers to experience. It is said that you can tell a lot about a man from his shoes, and us men know the satisfaction and confidence that oozes from us when we don a fresh pair of shoes. The modern Flaneur purchases with care and knows that time spent looking after these purchases will be repaid with years of fine living. These values and way of living are exactly what the Jaunty Flaneur hopes to promote and encourage.
Tom started out in the world of corporate finance, but dreamed of running his own business. One evening Tom noticed a rough sleeper begging for money, being overlooked and avoided by a crowd of businessmen. Why? It’s this separation from society which lingers over those who experience homelessness. The sad truth is that homeless people are often deliberately ignored and avoided. Tom then wondered what the man could offer to this particular passing market.
Tom wanted to make a difference and decided something needed to be done. And thus, Shoe Shine Crew was born! An organisation which is dedicated to providing job opportunities to those who have experienced homelessness and are ready to move back into mainstream society. The Shoe Shine Crew does not work directly with rough sleepers, only those who have completed pre-job training via their respective charities and have passed DBS (formerly CRB) checks. Shoe Shine Crew works alongside some of the best homeless charities such as Crisis, Thames Reach and CleanSlate. Shoe Shine Crew is on hand, attending events, carrying out office visits and supporting the homeless. Extensive training is provided, allowing for a high standard of professional and personal development.
Due to its success and the demand for such high class services, Tom expanded his operations to form sister company, The Jaunty Flaneur. The Jaunty Flaneur focuses on offering a private service for its clients, regularly appearing at members clubs and invite only events. A recent exciting collaboration with Oliver Sweeney means that The Jaunty Flaneur is also present in a number of their stores. The Jaunty Flaneur operates from its grandest shoe shine throne in the Marriott Park Lane hotel, one of the highest rated hotels in Europe. Guests stopping by can enjoy a range of services from a cocktail and a shoe shine, to a shoe repair drop off and collect service.
As a result, the whole spectrum of business is encompassed, and Tom’s vision of making a positive social difference in the world happens with every single shine.
Rocketseed is proud to be supporting a local business for such a fantastic cause. Together we can help raise awareness of The Jaunty Flaneur and The Shoe Shine Crew, and help give hope to those desperately trying to make their way back into society.
If you’d like some tips on keeping your shoes looking spick and span, or perhaps you’d like to take a look at the range of gentlemen’s accessories online, visit The Jaunty Flaneur website here.
For every private appointment and purchase made at the online store, a donation will be made to help towards people who have experienced homelessness. You can find out more about the Shoe Shine Crew and its charitable work here.
