Wolverhampton Uniform Swap Shop sees demand double this summer
They have seen queues around the building.
Last updated 16th Aug 2023
A Uniform Swap Shop in Wolverhampton has seen demand double this summer as families struggle to meet rising costs of school uniform.
Nick Shaw, teacher, started the shop five years ago and helped sixty families.
Now, he's helped 150 families so far this summer and the holidays aren't near being over yet.
They supply uniforms for around 70 schools across Wolverhampton, Walsall and Birmingham.
Nick said: "We get parents reporting they have to pay £70 or £80 just for a branded sports top and then you have the rest of the PE kit on that and then the school uniform.
"Families look at an average bill of about £400 in total for school uniform.
"The first summer we did this we had a mother cry on us because it was the first time she could get branded uniform for her son in year 11."
Nick and the Swap Shop are beginning to team up with schools to put their lost property to use.
They clean the items and then hang them up for struggling families to make use of.
Nick said: "I'll keep doing this as long as I have to or until I've helped all the families I can."
The Swap Shop is based at St Columba's URC, Castlecroft Road, Wolverhampton, WV3 8BZ.