A new community-focused business opened its first shop this morning, based in Stoke town centre. 

Wilshaws, on Kingsway in Stoke, is a completely independent shoe repairers, trophy centre, engravers and locksmith. 

Owners, Steve and Janet Wilshaw, have nearly 80 years of experience between them and were joined by former Stoke City manager, Lou Macari, and local councillor, Daniela Santoro, to open their new shop. 

Owners, Steve and Janet Wilshaw, have nearly 80 years of experience between them (Nub News).

Steve, at the age of 16, became an apprentice at a shoe repair shop in Stoke-on-Trent, where he worked for 44 years, carrying out work which his wife Janet calls "transformational". 

Janet began working at the same shop 33 years ago, where she met Steve and they were married a short time later. 

Steve has worked at a shoe repair shop for 44 years and his wife Janet described his work as 'transformational' (Nub News).

Janet told Stoke Nub News: "We worked in a family shop for 44 and 33 years but we eventually decided it was time to open our own business.

"We think we're the first truly independent shoe repairer to open in Stoke-on-Trent in the last 40 to 50 years."

Wilshaws will be supporting local homelessness charity, The Macari Foundation, by doing five repairs a week for the residents, completely free of charge. 

Wilshaws offers shoe repairing, trophys and engraving and locksmith services (Nub News).

Janet said: "We are very much about giving back and as the business grows we hope to help even more.

"Eventually we would like to get apprentices in, we'd like to give somebody who needs it a helping hand. 

"Our shops are more of a community - we want to get to know our customers, we want them to come in for a chat, that's what we're aiming for."

The brand-new shop, based on Kingsway in Stoke, is now open five days a week (Nub News).

Wilshaws is now open 9am-5pm on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday and 9.30am-3.30pm on a Saturday.

To find out more about Wilshaws, check out the Facebook page. 

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