Norfolk uniform swap shop manager urges schools to stop changing designs
Inflation for clothing and footwear stands at just over 14 per cent, according to the ONS- the highest it's been since 1974
Last updated 3rd Aug 2023
A woman running a free uniform swap shop in Norfolk is urging schools to stop changing uniform designs every year.
It comes as inflation for clothing and footwear stands at just over 14% (RPI- Retail Price Index), according to the ONS.
That's the highest it's been since 1974.
In addition to this, a survey from Ireland has found that a majority of parents there are worried about meeting back-to-school costs, with the survey finding 35% of primary school and 50% of secondary school parents believe cost-of-living increases have made it much more difficult to meet school costs.
"I think it will get busier as we approach September"
Dee Thompson runs 'The Hub' in Great Yarmouth's Market Gates shopping centre: "We just wanted to help families in the area. So we put out a plea for school uniforms and they came in and the shop was extremely popular.
"It got to the point where July of this year we were getting enquires as to whether we were going to open again.
"I think it will get busier as we approach September, but it all depends on our donations - we can only provide as much as we get in.
"Also some of the stuff we are getting in is out of date or no longer in use."
"The main challenge is the pure cost"
"We were open on Monday and it was non-stop for three hours. I had not long opened the door and we were already busy.
"We are also busy with donations.
"The main challenge is the pure cost of every individual item. If they have got more than one child, it's into ÂŁ50 or ÂŁ60 of clothes. It's also branded uniform that we are finding difficult.
"I'd like to urge the schools to not keep changing their uniforms like football teams."
What help is out there?
Norfolk County Council says there's support for those who are struggling with the cost of school uniforms, via the Norfolk Assistance Scheme (NAS).