The cost of school uniforms is putting increased pressure on low-income and vulnerable families. With nearly £40,000 from the npower Business Solutions (nBS) Foundation, Clothing Coventry was able to help thousands of children dress smartly for school.
As the city’s only clothing bank, Clothing Coventry supports people’s wellbeing and self-esteem by helping them access essential items with dignity. This includes new school uniforms, which, according to the Child Poverty Action Group, cost £343 (on average) for primary-age children and £442 at secondary level.
With a local community that includes some of England’s most deprived neighbourhoods, many families were struggling to fund this.
Thank you so much, we couldn’t do this without you. We are supporting children in poverty because of you.
Having given 3,448 children second-hand items, including shirts, skirts, jumpers and blazers in 2024, the charity wanted to scale its uniform project to reach more than 4,000 in 2025. This would include running distribution events, putting rails of free uniforms in reception areas and raising awareness of the help it offers.
The grant from the nBS Foundation means children can return to school well dressed and ready to learn, reusing clothing sustainably and maintaining the self-esteem of low-income families. Some of the feedback from those supported by the project included, “You’ve taken the pressure off our shoulders by helping us with uniforms. We appreciate it so much.”
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