The 'Birmingham Mail Christmas Tree Fund' supplied these boots to a Birmingham child in the 1930s. The fund relied on donations from local people.Between 1888 and 1948 it bought almost 500,000 boots and shoes for the City's poorer children. The Fund's work meant that Birmingham was the first big city in Britain to see an end to barefooted children.Boots like these were specially made for the fund. They were well made and hard wearing,but often ill-fitting. The BM stamp we can see was to discourage pawning, however many children endured playground teasing for wearing BM marked charity boots.