Helen Greaves, owner of Bromsgrove-based independent school uniform shop S&H Schoolwear and Sports, discusses the history behind her family-run business and the importance of supporting the local community.
Many independent schoolwear shops are deeply rooted within their local community, providing a supportive service to families and children that extends beyond the supply of school uniform alone. This is certainly the case with second-generation family business S&H Schoolwear and Sports in Bromsgrove, which today is run by husband-and-wife team Simon and Helen Greaves, but was originally taken over by Helen’s late dad, Tony.
“My dad worked in education all his life and was actually awarded an MBE in 1999 for Services to Further Education,” says Helen. “He was a workaholic and never really retired. When he did leave his actual official workplace, he bought our business as a retirement hobby. It does seem quite apt that even in his retirement he was still in and out of schools and dealing with parents and pupils.”
Although the school uniform shop has been in Helen’s family for 16 years, it was established long before.
It has been in the town for over 40 years and was previously a sports shop with a small offering of school uniform. Over time, however, the business has completely transformed. Whilst it still sells a small selection of sports accessories and equipment, it has evolved into the main school uniform supplier for Bromsgrove schools and supplies uniform for 17 Bromsgrove schools, including sole supply of the three largest.
“I often refer to us as a small(ish) business with a big heart,” continues Helen. “We rebranded a few years ago and the S&H stands for Simon and Helen, we are at the heart of S&H Schoolwear and Sports. Like anybody with their own business, we live and breathe it. We have excellent relationships with many longstanding customers and local schools, with the summer just gone being our busiest yet. We’re now looking at placing our big forward orders for next year’s Back to School.”
Helen and Simon live in Bromsgrove and their children attend local Bromsgrove schools. They are very much part of community life – both personally and professionally.
From a business perspective, they provide support in various ways; from local employment opportunities for young people and a completely free and flexible Put By Service for families through to a pre-loved school uniform offer. The shop also introduced accredited autism-friendly appointments in 2020. “The autism-friendly initiative is a subject very close to our hearts,” adds Helen. “We fully understand that some customers cannot cope in busy retail environments.”
S&H Schoolwear and Sports was actually the first business in Bromsgrove to gain the prestigious Autism Friendly Award. To earn this accolade – presented by the National Autistic Society – the Greaves fulfilled five criteria outlined by the charity. These included providing customers with information about autism-friendly approaches; staff and volunteers having an understanding of the condition and how it affects people; and ensuring the physical environment is not daunting to those with autism.
“We offer autism-friendly one-to-one appointments on either side of the working day,” says Helen. “Parents and children can come along and be guaranteed to be able to try on and purchase uniform in a very quiet and calm environment. They have the shop to themselves. Despite working around 70 hours a week in the summer, we still offered this service. Customer feedback has been amazing and it’s great to be able to make a difference.”
As well as autism-friendly appointments, the store also set up a pre-loved school uniform rail in 2020 for used and unwanted badged uniform.
Pre-loved items are sold for a nominal donation, with all monies raised going directly to the local Primrose Hospice. In just over 18 months – five of which the shop was closed due to lockdowns – the pre-loved rail has raised almost £800.
Helen concludes; “The shop is all-consuming and exceptionally hard work, but ultimately it is very rewarding being able to make a difference to the people in our local community. I know my dad would be exceptionally proud of how myself and Simon have grown and nurtured the business into what it represents today – a strong and caring family-based business at the heart of a local community.”
To visit the store’s website, please click here.
