Cutgate Co-op launches school uniform donation scheme for families in need

The Co-op Food Store at Cutgate has launched a school uniform donation scheme, allowing shoppers to donate pre-owned school uniform for local families in need.

The scheme, which has only been operating for one week, has already received 10 bags of donations for primary and secondary school age children alike.

Store manager, Darren Ramsden, who has organised the initiative, is keen to obtain more.

Darren said: "We know there are families locally who struggle with the expense of kitting their children out for school and the Covid outbreak has made the lives of those on temporary or zero hours contracts even more difficult.

“This scheme allows people to donate items that no longer fit their children and we pass them on to local schools to distribute to those pupils that they know will benefit."

The Co-op's Member Pioneer for Rochdale, Bev Place, who is assisting with the collection and distribution, added: "It really couldn't be simpler to get involved. If you have good quality items of school uniform that you no longer want, we urge you to drop it in at the Co-op at Cutgate in the next week.

“It really will make the lives of others in our community that bit easier." 

Items donated to the Co-op will be given to school pastoral teams so that the uniforms go to the pupils most in need.

Donating good quality items of school uniform can have multiple benefits, from helping families save money, to helping the environment by reducing carbon, water and waste footprints.

Figures from WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) say that extending the lifespan of a garment by just three months would lead to a 5-10% reduction in carbon, water and waste footprint – rising to a 20-30% reduction with just nine extra months of use.

Recent research has revealed that in 2019, parents in the North West threw away over 150,000 school uniforms – despite being in good condition – with nearly half of parents preferring to throw a garment away than try to repair it.

The study also showed that the majority of parents always buy their children’s school uniform new, saying they didn’t buy pre-loved garments because “they didn’t like the thought of their children wearing previously owned clothing,” “it is easier to buy new” and “wanting their children to have the latest things.”

Those who said they were happy for their children to wear pre-owned clothes said they would prefer garments to be handed down from older siblings, with more than a fifth of parents holding onto outgrown items.

 

 

Cutting the cost of school uniform has also been raised by local councillor Faisal Rana, who has launched a petition to make uniforms cheaper:

• www.change.org/enduniformrip-off

He says schools must “do more” - such as secondary schools providing badges which can be attached to any blazer, rather than purchasing from an official supplier.

The Spotland and Falinge councillor said: “The cost of kitting out your child to go back to school must be a nightmare for many families, particularly if you have two or three children. Blazers are the most expensive items and schools could quite easily reduce this cost by providing badges for a couple of quid and allowing parents to source their own blazer.

“What's more, youngsters are growing rapidly at that age and are likely to have grown out of it within a year.

"It's even more important this year that schools do everything they can to reduce the cost of uniforms. Most schools have quite strict uniform policies, so the least they could do is allow parents to kit out their child at the cheapest possible cost.”

Government guidance says governing bodies should give highest priority to the consideration of cost and value for money for parents: “The school uniform should be easily available for parents to purchase and schools should seek to select items that can be purchased cheaply, for example in a supermarket or other good value shop.”

The guidance also says schools should keep compulsory branded items to a minimum and avoid specifying expensive items of uniform, such as outdoor coats.

In 2015, The Children’s Commission on Poverty, supported by the Children’s Society, published 'The Wrong Blazer: Time for action on school uniform costs', a report that highlighted concerns about uniform cost as well recommending that the government should explore a school uniform cost cap.

The report added that one of the key reasons for the high costs are school uniform policies that “make parents buy specific items of clothing and accessories from specialist shops” – rather than allowing them to buyer cheaper clothes from supermarkets and sew on a badge or logo later.

You can donate pre-loved school uniform to Cutgate Co-op at Cutgate Precinct, Edenfield Road, OL11 5AQ, during opening hours.