Uniform charity in Harrogate wanting to 'break the stigma' around second-hand clothing
The Village in Harrogate launched last summer and have provided hundreds of clothing bundles
A clothing charity in Harrogate's hoping to break the stigma around having second hand school uniforms.
The Village Harrogate, formerly known as Baby Basics, aims to alleviate material poverty amongst families and stop perfectly good clothing going to landfill.
Most families bought brand new uniforms ahead of schools reopening in January, but when the government was put into a national lockdown it meant the schools didn't open and the clothes hadn't been worn.
Now, children which have grown out of the new uniforms have donated their clothes to the charity for struggling families to take at no extra cost.
Julie Mellor is a volunteer for the charity, she said: "There's always a need for baby bundles and uniforms and there's always people who need these basic necessities which we may take for granted. So at the Village our aim is to reach out to these people and get them the basics they need to survive every day.
"With kids being in and out of school and people finding themselves struggling when they might not have before covid, so we really just tried to fill referrals quickly and to get the clothes and uniforms out to kids who really need it.
"We'd love to be able to reach further and reach out to people who might not have needed help before but do need it now. I'm sure there are plenty of people who are in that situation and don't know where to turn.
"A lot of the uniform we get donated looks brand new, it looks like it's just come off the shelves and sometimes it is brand new with tags on. There is a stigma with having second hand uniforms and we want to break that stigma."
Uniforms have been bundled into separate ages, sizes and genders to keep people safe and prevent any possible spread of Covid-19.
The Village collects polo tops, shirts and blouses, trousers, shorts, skirts, summer dresses, jumpers, good quality shoes, sports kid and plimsoles.