Kettering councillor's school uniform swap shop to help struggling families

A Kettering councillor is running a second-hand swap shop to help families who are struggling with the cost of brand new school uniforms.

Cllr Bev Wright (Lab, Northfield), who sits on Kettering Town Council, is running the initiative for the second time after the brilliant scheme grew.

It sees pre-loved uniform, which is collected through donations from parents, distributed for free to new owners.

The collection was housed in a spare bedroom and has since moved to a large shed in Cllr Wright’s daughter’s garden – and it’s hoped the scheme will grow even further in future.

Cllr Wright said: “Ideally, we could partner with schools so that they store their own items but a volunteer would visit monthly to set out the stock for parents to view.

"As a councillor I have heard from many families who are struggling to afford uniform for their children on top of the cost of rent, food and energy. There is clearly a need.”

The Education (Guidance about Costs of School Uniforms) Act 2021 should have improved matters for parents facing the high cost of new school uniforms for their children.

These new rules say that schools should consider the affordability of uniforms and keep branded items to a minimum for their pupils. They should also publish details of where second hand uniform can be found.

But Cllr Wright said: “Few have made this clear on their websites. Most schools do seem to have reviewed their policy and reduced the number of branded items compared to last year – these are ones that can only be bought from a specific supplier.

"However, compulsory uniform items such as a blazer, tie and PE kit can still set you back around £60 per child (secondary). Primary schools tend to be less expensive, both because of size and because they usually have only one or two branded items.”

Anyone who would like to help with uniform donations or plastic storage boxes for stock, or who would like to act as a volunteer, can contact Cllr Wright on [email protected].