The Fashion & Textile Children’s Trust (FTCT), a trade charity that funds essential items for the children of UK fashion and textile workers, has formed a school uniform bank directory to help parents source preloved schoolwear locally in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Now ranked as the top resource on Google for UK school uniform banks and resale sites, FTCT is keen to continue the listing’s growth and encourages independent schoolwear retailers that offer preloved schemes to join the initiative.

 

CWB: Could you provide an overview of the directory and its purpose?

FTCT: We’re really proud of our School Uniform Bank Directory, which we first launched in 2023 for our Back to School Campaign. What started as a helpful resource for parents visiting our website has grown each year. This year we expanded the listing to cover resources in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, after noticing that there wasn’t one cohesive listing site for the whole UK. Essentially, we created the directory because we wanted to offer lots of options to help UK parents facing financial difficulty, even if they are not eligible to apply for one of our grants.

CWB: How is the directory performing?

FTCT: We’re delighted to see around 35 visits to the directory each month, an 81% jump from last year. We expect visits to keep growing as the summer approaches. Before we pulled everything together, parents had to hunt through different listings, often encountering outdated links, adding to the stress of an already challenging time. Our directory brings everything together in one place and we are committed to keeping it updated, making searching for local and accessible preloved uniform easier for families.

CWB: Can independent schoolwear retailers that offer a preloved scheme be added to the directory?

FTCT: We would be delighted to add new listings to the directory, particularly from retailers and suppliers that share our mission for supporting families. Our goal is to make this directory a helpful and trusted go-to resource for UK parents looking for affordable, planet-friendly uniform options. Getting involved couldn’t be simpler, companies can reach out through the contact link at the bottom of the directory.

CWB: Alongside cost-saving, is the sustainable element of the directory – keeping school uniforms in circulation for longer – something you also promote?

FTCT: Absolutely. While helping families facing financial hardship is at the heart of what we do, we’re increasingly excited about the environmental benefits too. So many school clothes have plenty of life left in them when children outgrow them. We love that this directory has the potential to help families make choices that both relieve financial pressure and are kind to the planet. There’s something really special about the circularity aspect this directory offers, connecting parents to local groups and resources they may not have heard of, whether they use the banks themselves or donate uniforms to pass on to local families.

CWB: How do you foresee demand for your Back to School grants this year?

FTCT: Our recent parent survey has revealed some trends that concern us. Financial pressure on UK families remains intense, with parents consistently finding uniform, school meals and extracurricular activities the biggest costs to reach each year. What’s particularly worrying is that 80% of parents now need to borrow money or use payment plans for Back to School costs, a big jump from 55% last year. These results tell us our Back to School grants, which help families in need buy uniform, sports kit, tech for homework and study furniture, will continue to be a lifeline for many UK families this year.

CWB: How can interested parties connect with FTCT?

FTCT: People can get involved with our work in several ways, from adding uniform schemes to the directory, to sharing information about our Back to School grants within their local community and with families who might be struggling. We are also running a fundraising campaign throughout July, asking people to raise much-needed funds to support our work. As the trade charity for parents working in the UK fashion and textile industry, we depend on the generosity of industry companies to support and promote our work. We encourage anyone interested to pop over to our website and discover how we can work together to make life a little easier for families who need our help. For any parents working in the industry who feel that a Back to School grant could help their family, we encourage them to visit our website and find out more about our grants.

For further information, please click here.