Colne school uniform exchange sees increase in demand

Michaela Wilson started the Pendle In And Out Of School Project, based in Colne Market Hall,  around two years ago.

Here, parents can pick up pre-loved and donated school uniforms, free of charge and without judgement.

Michaela, from Burnley, said the project helps your bank balance and is also good for the environment.

She said: “I set this up around two years ago. It was only meant to be temporary and last a couple of weeks.

“We accept donations, of old and outgrown school uniforms, from people in the local area. We set the uniforms in the pop-up to look as much like a normal shop as possible.

“People come and take the uniforms for free and there is absolutely no cost involved.

"The pop-up isn’t manned meaning there isn’t any stigma or judgement, people are just free to take them.

Michaela Wilson started the Pendle In And Out Of School Project, based in Colne Market Hall,  around two years ago (Image: Michaela Wilson)

“Once your kid finishes school their uniform has no resale value. Instead of it going to landfill they can go here.

"It is a massive recycling and reusing project that saves money and also stops things from going to landfill.”

Michaela said she was inspired to launch the pop-up shop, which is open all year round after her son’s PE uniform cost around £140 to buy.

She said: “I started the project the day after my son’s uniform hit. His PE kit was £140. I just thought there must be a better way of doing things here.

“Uniforms can cost a lot of money and it can be ridiculous. I don’t see why a child needs branded clothes to run around on a pitch playing PE.”

Michaela said she has seen a surge in parents visiting the uniform exchange since the cost of living crisis. She said parents who visit often have jobs.

She said: “I have noticed an increase in parents coming to the shop since the cost-of-living crisis hit and it’s not just people on benefits or those you would stereotypically think are on the bread line.

School uniforms at Pendle In And Out Of School Project, based in Colne (Image: Michaela Wilson)

“The first week we set it up, we helped a working mum with three children. She was in tears by the time she left.

"She didn’t think she could afford the uniforms. I thought that proves there is a need for something like this.

“It isn’t just for people in need, it’s for everybody. Everyone can do with saving a few quid. If you manage to save £50 on a uniform, that’s some money for a day out.

“We get so many donations and people are so generous. I want to thank the people of Colne, it would work without them.”

More than two-thirds of secondary school parents believe the cost of school uniforms is not affordable, a survey has suggested.

About half of parents of secondary school pupils said they have to buy at least three school logo-branded items for their child, according to research for the Children’s Society charity.

The Government set out plans in the King’s Speech last week to introduce legislation to limit the number of branded items of uniform and PE kits that a school can require to bring down costs for parents.

A poll, of 2,000 parents of school-age children across the UK, found that 56 per cent felt the cost of uniform is not affordable – and the figure was even higher among parents of secondary pupils (67 per cent).

Statutory government guidance, which came into effect in autumn 2022, already tells state schools in England to keep branded uniform items to “a minimum” and to limit their use to “low-cost or long-lasting items”.

But the survey, carried out by Censuswide in June, suggests 63 per cent of parents said their school has not changed its uniform policy in the past two years.