Suffolk high school runs uniform bank to help parents with the cost of living crisis
The uniform bank allows parents to buy clothes at a cheaper price
Last updated 29th Aug 2023
A Suffolk secondary school tells us they're doing what they can to help families struggling with the cost of living crisis.
Kesgrave High School is running a second-hand school uniform bank - after research by The Children’s Society found parents are paying an average of £422 per year for secondary school children's uniforms.
Headteacher Julia Upton told us they understand that parents are struggling and that uniforms can be a large cost.
Julia describes the uniform at Kesgrave as "simple and straight forward", which allows parents to have a "choice about where they can purchase items whilst meeting our uniform standards".
She told us they wanted to help and have been working with parents in their community to create this second-hand shop.
Parents and guardians can donate old school uniform which is then sold at a reasonable costs.
They money made from the second hand shop goes toward local charities:
"They use a range of local charities, so they try and kind of spread the love around different charities and just consider different charities in need.
"So kind of putting that back into our own community again."
Where can parents find it?
The second hand shop is open on the first Monday of every month.
Julia told us that this also helps parents as it means they can spread the cost out as necessary and don't have to buy everything all at once.
She also mentioned that parents and guardians find it helpful that the shop is at a consistent time and place each month: "Parents know where and when they can come and get stuff."
More and more people are using it
Julia told us they are glad they can provide this service but they are seeing more people coming each month:
"I think probably has got more parents accessing that than in the past, which is probably an indication of how some people are really struggling.
"I think we probably need even more donations than we've had in the past because people are now using regularly."