Pick-up a pre-loved uniform at Market Drayton library before the school term starts again
The team behind a second-chance school uniform recycling scheme in north Shropshire have been delighted by a deluge of donations of uniform items to help kit out kids amid the cost-of-living crisis.
Tori Watson from Market Drayton Library has teamed up with Gail Ackerley of Churches Together to provide a space for people to drop off and pick up items of school uniform.
New to this year, the scheme is running at the library on 51 Cheshire Street to find new homes for donated primary school items, while also being considerate of the planet at the same time.
Tori said: "The scheme is running at a central location in town which is promoted heavily on our social media. Not only is it helping with the cost of living, but also landfill."
Charity shops don't want second-hand uniform items and there is little money in selling them, Tori said, so the scheme works well for people who want to get rid of unwanted items and make a difference.
The scheme came about four years ago and is run by Churches Together in Market Drayton.
It initially had a home at the Festival Drayton Centre on Frogmore Road, before running online the year after and now at the town library.
Living in a consumerist world we all tend to buy too much, Tori said, and new school uniforms can be expensive, particularly for families struggling with the current cost of living.
From sweatshirts to cardigans, shirts to school shoes, the recycling scheme has many items on offer ready to be picked up.
Some of the items are branded for local schools in the area – Market Drayton Infant and Nursery School and the Grove School – with sizes from three to four all the way up to 11 to 12.
The team only have primary school items available at the moment, but are looking to get local secondary schools on board with the scheme.
"We have had 25 to 30 people today and a few more last time," Tori added. "We are hoping to reach 100 families and more. We have loads of stock."
All items are washed and mended before they are re-distributed.
The team are only looking for people to pick up items at this time as they have already had a lot of generous donations.
The next uniform recycling event will take place on September 7 from 10am to 1pm.
