Accrington charity shop provides thousands of free school uniforms

Heritage Charity Shop, which has four shops across the area, opened their school uniform shop in the Arndale Centre back on August 1 and since their scheme began, they have given away more than 5,500 items of school uniform free of charge to families in need.

The charity scheme organisers never expected to see such a demand when they first started selling items in one of their other stores and they are now appealing for schools and members of the public to help by donating items which will help more families across East Lancashire.

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Tony Yates, manager of the Heritage Charity Shop in the Arndale Centre, said: “We came up with the idea of a school uniform shop early last year because we had one or two school uniforms that had been donated into the shop.

"We decided rather than charge for them, we decided to give them away for free, because of the economic climate, to families who are struggling.

“So anyway, one or two people heard about it and decided to donate their school uniform and it just snowballed from there really.

“We decided in the middle of the summer that we would start a scheme, asking people to donate items to the shop and we would give them away free to anybody who wanted them, and they could come and collect them.

“It then just continued to snowball, and it became that big that I opened a new shop on August 1 just to cater for the school uniforms.

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“Since the opening of our school uniform shop in the Arndale Centre the demand for free items of uniform has continued to grow.

“We have given away over 5,500 items of school uniform free of charge to families in need.

“At first, we only had people from Accrington coming to us but now we have people coming from Blackburn, Burnley, and Rossendale as well.

“I thought if we got 100 pieces of uniform it would come and go but I never dreamt it would get to 5,500.

“The shop opens every weekday morning and there are people in there every day asking for uniform.

“The demand is absolutely there and it’s going to continue to be there for as long as the cost to buy uniform is high.”

Heritage charity shop (Image: Tony Yates)

Tony said whilst the demand remains high, the donated items they are receiving has reduced and they don’t want to and will never turn anyone away, but they need further support.

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He said: “We haven’t got the stock in that we need, and people are now turning up on our doorstep for high school items and we don’t have it.

“Our stocks of some of the clothing are now starting to run low.

“This is particularly the case with the high schools where the demand has obviously been greater due to the number of pupils requiring uniform.

"I work closely with foodbanks in Hyndburn and have recently taken food parcels to families with children who have also taken free uniforms from our shop.

"These families cannot afford food but the school will not allow the children into school unless they have full p.e. kit.

"A new pair of p.e. socks costs £8.

"Families are being forced to choose whether to feed their kids or buy new p.e.kits at absolutely exorbitant prices. 

"That cannot be right and must change but the schools have to sign up to the notion and do it now.

“If you have any uniform lurking in your wardrobes or in bags ready for recycling and it is still in good condition, please do consider dropping it in to any of our four shops in Accrington.

“If you are in some way associated with Rhyddings, Accrington Academy, St Christopher’s or Hyndburn Academy please could you help push it through your school.

“We are in urgent need of their uniform.”

Tony said the charity shops are not making any profit from the school uniform, they are doing the scheme to help families who are the most in need and any help would be appreciated.