Simon Caulton – the very first client of STEAMhouse Incubator – is celebrating the launch of his new venture Ones Trainers, an inspirational footwear brand that donates and raises money for various charities.
Posted 16 December 2021
Ones Trainers ready for lift off
After several months of disruptions and challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Ones Trainers are now on sale ready for your one step journey.
The trainer brand has been inspired by difficult circumstances.
Simon, previously an international consultant in manufacturing, gave up his day job in 2018 when his daughter, Mia, was diagnosed with leukaemia.
After spending 12 months at home caring for Mia during her recovery, Simon began looking for a fresh challenge.
“I wanted to do something for myself, to use all my pain, anxiety, anger and fear and turn it into something positive,” Simon says. “I wanted to build something with a purpose.”
Inspired by his family’s difficult journey, where they had to take Mia’s recovery one step at a time, Simon devised Ones Trainers.
A brand that gives back
From the beginning, Simon was keen to ensure that he gave back to those that helped Mia during her treatment.
As a result, the shoe brand has partnered with Blood Cancer UK, committing to donating 10 percent of profits into research and trials into acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
Ones’ other chosen charity is Ronald McDonald House, which provided Simon and his partner a house for 225 nights while Mia underwent intense chemotherapy.
So far, Ones have raised over £6,000 for the charity and will continue to do so through auctions, fundraising events and more.
This commitment to giving back is also manifested in the shoe itself.
From the very beginning, Simon was keen to ensure that the trainers were sustainable and sought to find the right partnership to make this happen.
Simon soon partnered with Bloom Materials, who harvest algae from ponds and lakes, manufacture it into pellets and mix it with rubber, foam and EVA compounds to create a more sustainable product.
Valuable, free support
Simon is incredibly thankful to STEAMhouse Incubator for giving him the tools, support and guidance as he got Ones Trainers off the ground.
“The Incubator team has been there on hand and given me motivation and kept me focused,” Simon said in an interview with STEAMhouse. “As a start-up business, the facilities the Incubator has would be financially out of your reach anywhere else.
“When I used the office it gave me a sense of professionalism when hosting meetings and a ‘home’ for the business.”
Richard Scutt, Programme Manager at the Incubator, believes the brand is headed for big things.
“Simon has become more resilient. He now has a more proactive supplier, all the logistics in place and is ready to launch,” he says.
“He has an excellent ecommerce site with great visuals, has a strong following and a pipeline of customers. The future is looking bright.”
