The Shipley Area School Uniform Bank in West Yorkshire is a lifeline for countless parents who have been left choosing, according to one charity, between heating their home and buying new uniforms
Jumpers, shirts and trousers cover every spare space of the small retail unit.
Downstairs, two volunteers are painstakingly rummaging through bags brimming with newly washed PE kit, checking it carefully before it goes on display.
This unit is a lifeline for hundreds of parents struggling with the ever-increasing costs of providing their children with the correct school uniform. Here, at the Shipley Area School Uniform Bank in West Yorkshire, they can either get second-hand uniform for free, or if they are able, pay what they can for the items with proceeds going back into the running of the service.
A recent report by the Children’s Society found parents are now spending on average £287 on primary uniforms and £422 a year on secondary uniforms, with having to buy expensive branded items partly to blame. A poll by the charity also found that some parents are choosing between heating their homes and buying the right uniform.