Pre-loved uniforms save families £69, says charity
Clothing Coventry has helped provide thousands of children with second-hand school uniform.
**Pre-loved uniforms save families £69, says charity**
The charity Clothing Coventry provides free second-hand clothes, shoes and school uniforms to families living in poverty.
Thousands of families cut the cost of school uniforms this summer thanks to a charity scheme that offered pre-loved and donated clothing free of charge.
Katie Wilson, CEO of Clothing Coventry, said parents were able to choose the items they needed and that families saved an average of £69 by attending its uniform events, which ran over three weeks.
Wilson said the average price of a school uniform is estimated at £249.58 per child and that this "remains a real challenge" for many families. She added that the charity has helped more than 2,700 children get ready for the new school year.
"Projects like this only happen because people give their time, resources and support - thank you to every volunteer who joined us," she added.
Katie Wilson, CEO of Clothing Coventry located in the Hillfields area
Across the events, the charity handed out 15,005 uniform items, including:
- 1,869 polo shirts
- 2,807 shirts
- 2,388 jumpers
- 183 blazers
- 119 ties
- 453 logoed PE kit items
- 1,531 pairs of shoes
- 2,787 pairs of boys' trousers
- 616 pinafores
- 1,092 skirts
- 900 pairs of girls' trousers
- 260 sixth-form outfits
In addition to donated and pre-loved uniforms, it also provided 4,659 brand-new items to 2,142 children.
A further 60 families were given £30 uniform vouchers when the charity could not supply a blazer for their child's school.
Wilson said blazers and logoed PE kits were among the most requested items, and that even with extra purchases and generous donations, demand exceeded supply in some cases.
The programme, now in its fourth year, is backed by Coventry Building Society.
"While we can never guarantee every item, in every size, for every school, we are proud to say that no family who attended our events left empty-handed," Wilson said.
One parent who used the service said obtaining uniforms for their children had been a major worry.
"As a family with eight children and a very limited income, getting school uniforms for all our children was a big worry for us," they said.
"The support we received made a huge difference and took away a lot of financial stress.
"It helped us make sure our children could go back to school with the uniforms they needed. We are truly grateful to everyone who made this possible."
Clothing Coventry will reopen for school uniform requests on 14 September and said families can get uniform support all year round, not only during the summer holidays.