Uniform For All initiative helps families afford school uniforms

A community project has been set up in Rochdale to assist parents who are struggling to purchase school uniform for their children.

With donation points at Co-op food stores at Cutgate, Rooley Moor Road and Norden, Uniform For All is a new initiative in conjunction with Spotland Methodist Church Community Space and is being supported by Crystal Wash Launderette on Rooley Moor Road and local councillors Rachel Massey, Faisal Rana and Wendy Cocks.

You can take donations of new, or like new, uniform and shoes to one of the local Co-op stores and the items will be collected by volunteers and passed on to other families.

Collections of uniforms are for local schools such as Falinge Park High School, Oulder Hill High School, Redwood High School, St Cuthbert’s High School, Spotland Primary School, Meanwood Primary School, St Vincent’s RC Primary School, Caldershaw Primary School and Norden Primary School.

 

 

Purchasing uniform can place financial strains on families each year. The Children’s Society estimates that it costs approximately £255 a year per child for everything they need for primary school and approximately £340 per child when they reach secondary school, with the largest cost item being a blazer with the school emblem.

Uniform for All has come together to help those struggling to meet these costs by offering a service where you can call or email when you are in need.

So far, the initiative has collected over 18 bags of uniforms, shoes, and scout, brownie and rainbows uniforms, and more are being donated every day from local parents. Some of the donations are brand-new and still in the packaging due to children not attending school because of Covid-19 and ultimately, outgrowing uniform.

The voluntary group aims to have regular sales during the year in Spotland Methodist Church but due to the Covid-19 lockdown, orders currently need to be placed over the phone and then collected.

Leonie O’Donoghue, Spotland Methodist Church and Community Layworker, said: “School uniforms can be expensive and money hard to find. We can help by providing a uniform to help make one of life’s worries a little easier.”

As the service relies on donations of uniform, there is no guarantee that everything will be available and so far, the project has items for schools within the Spotland, Falinge and Norden areas.

Uniform donated so far includes jumpers, cardigans, shirts, skirts, ties, trousers, blazers, shoes, PE bags, summer dresses, coats, and lunch bags.

Please let Uniform For All know if you need anything by contacting Leonie O’Donoghue on 07513 694 862 or Councillor Rachel Massey on 07583 093 719.