School clothes bank helps with uniform costs

A school uniform bank has been set up to help families who struggle to afford the cost of buying them from new.

It has been opened in Boston, Lincolnshire, by community organisation Boxes of Hope.

The clothes bank will be open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the Centenary Methodist Church and items are 50p each or £2 for a blazer.

Tracey Topliss, from the organisation, said she hoped it would help families due to the fact "uniforms can become very costly".

There are branded items for sale for many schools across Boston, plus lots of plain uniforms.

Ms Topliss added: "People are really feeling the pinch at the moment. It soon adds up having to get the uniform and they just grow out of it so quickly."

The organisation has teamed up with Asda, which has been collecting uniforms and has also donated new clothing.

Boxes of Hope was started by Mandy Baxter, who began by putting shoeboxes together to send to Ukrainian refugee facilities.

She now helps families across Lincolnshire who are experiencing hardship.

Ms Baxter said: “We deal with families who are paying their mortgage, paying their bills and they can’t afford to feed their kids.”

Chantelle Bills, a single mother with two children, said the cost of a school uniform was "a minimum of £50".

"And that was just for jumpers and cardigans," she explained. "There’s no way I can afford to incorporate that into my budget."

The organisation also has a community shop selling uniforms in Holbeach.

Miss Topliss added: “We get blazers in and they are out before I've even got them on the shelf.”

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