School uniform swap shop 'saves money and tackles second hand clothes stigma'

A uniform exchange program, initiated four years ago by Jon in Cardiff at his children's primary school, has expanded to include over 200 schools. Jon's children, Tom and Sion, assist him with the project.

The concept for the Free School Clothes scheme arose from the cost-of-living crisis, aiming to alleviate the financial burden on parents, as school uniforms can cost hundreds of pounds. What began with a plastic collection box outside Jon's home has evolved into a website, launched in March, facilitating the exchange of 8,000 items.

Jon estimates that the website could collectively save Welsh families more than £50 million annually. UK government figures indicate that the average annual cost of a primary school uniform is approximately £343, while for a comprehensive school pupil, it's around £442. Jon noted, "If you've got more than one kid that's a significant additional cost to the family budget."

He explained, "This free online swap shop built around the school community and families means they can list their good quality outgrown school clothes and offer them to other families within the school community for free and other families can then browse and request items and they can arrange a local collection of the items that they need." Jon emphasized, "We always say second hand doesn't need to be mean second best."

Jon, pictured with his children and their deputy head teacher, started the initiative at Ysgol Treganna in 2022 and continues to organize the swaps for the school. His children, Tom, 10, and Sion, six, help sort the clothes. Tom described the initial stages as "chaotic," recalling, "The front room was just full of school clothes and there was a table with loads of clothes on and then more tables with more school clothes on them and I helped with sorting them by age and school."

Elise, a mother of three, recently acquired a new school jumper for her son, Charlie, through the scheme. Research by Save the Children and the Baby Bank Alliance network indicates that nearly half of parents are concerned about the cost of school uniforms. Elise highlighted the expense: "It's really expensive, I've got three kids you've got to get jumpers, T-shirts, trousers, shoes, double all of them because of the washing, so it's amazing for saving money but also I never buy anything new if I can help it because it seems such a waste when there's pre-loved which can be handed on."

Elise consistently finds what she needs through the program. She explained, "You can say 'oh I'm really looking for some jumpers in age seven to eight or has anyone got the school uniform or the PE kit that we need' and nine times out of 10 somebody would be able to go 'oh yeah, I have actually I was going to pass that on or do something with it' and then we swap it over."

Jon collaborates with Gareth Evans, the deputy head teacher at Ysgol Treganna. Evans stated, "At the end of each half term, myself and Tom will look at what's left in lost and found, basically what hasn't been reclaimed and then Tom and his group of friends will then bag everything up and take them home to Jon to add to the website."

Beyond financial relief, Jon's scheme promotes sustainability. He noted, "This is helping families to save both their pocket and the planet and I think that extra dimension around the environment has really captured people's interest in this initiative." He sees significant potential for expansion, stating, "There are 30,000 schools within the UK, all or most will be using school uniforms in one way shape or form, so the potential is definitely there to help many more schools." Jon's ultimate goal is a "culture change and the change in sort of instinct around second-hand school clothes so that this becomes normal practice."

Kingsbury High School in London, with 2,000 pupils, participates in the scheme. Tara Randall, the school's sustainability lead, believes the initiative removes the stigma associated with seeking help for children's clothing and normalizes uniform swapping. She observed, "There's a certain street cred that kids like to follow, especially at secondary school. But this is done in a discreet way, so there's no stigma." Randall added, "Parents can arrange their own drop-offs, pick-ups of uniforms, and, I guess the extra benefit on top of that is that you might find parents and carers from a community or connect in that kind of way, because it can feel very remote in secondary schools."

In Wales, some low-income families or those with children in local authority care are eligible for a grant of up to £200 per child for school equipment. In England, starting in September, school uniforms will be limited to three items with a school logo (e.g., blazer, jumper, sportswear) plus a tie for secondary schools, as a measure to help parents save money.