The Edinburgh School Uniform Bank is gearing up for a monumental drive as the cost of living crisis hits families from all backgrounds across the capital.
Head organiser, Margaret Civval, has been working with the uniform support organisation for a number of years but says that the demand for services is fast outstripping their ability to deliver with the issues families are facing today.
She says that referrals have gone through the roof and that families that once donated to their service are now having to rely on them to be able to clothe their children.
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Not only that but there is a severe rise in referrals coming in from working families, sometimes households with two working parents, that just cannot afford the rising uniform costs along with the problems exacerbated by the cost of living crisis.
As a result, Margaret and her team are calling on residents of Edinburgh to help support their latest Summer uniform drive to ensure every child can go to school with dignity.
She said: “One of the really surprising things is the increase in families coming to us who are working full time and do not have enough money to go around with Edinburgh’s housing costs, petrol, energy and food price rising.
“There is a term being used at the moment - JAM’s - the “Just About Managing” - with a lot of them being key workers who cannot afford the basics anymore.
“We had a woman we helped last year, she is a nurse working full time and has three kids.
“With the pandemic everything was in short supply due to supply chain issues and school uniforms were hard to come by.
“This mum went online as she has very tall boys. One of her sons had put on his trousers from the year before and looked like the Incredible Hulk bursting out of them - he had grown four inches!
“She got things in the basket but the online retailer said that she could only pay if she took out a credit card with them.
“She took out the credit card and bought the things but then the parcel never arrived. A week before school was due to go back - she could not afford to pay for it again.
“Her debt advisor said they were very worried and so they asked us to get the things they needed.
“We got them a basic pack to take pressure off the mum but this is the sort of thing that is happening more and more often.
“Parents who work in the NHS are getting trapped in debt and are unable to afford their children’s school uniform.
“There is a lot going around about working parents choosing between heating and eating but the reality is that they cannot afford either. You have mums and dads not eating three meals a day.
“We noticed the problem was getting worse in April. You have households where both parents are working full-time which is a change from when we first started.
“It would traditionally be mums that were not working or parents working part-time due to childcare costs but now it seems to be everyone.
“We even had a family that would donate to us regularly getting in touch and saying that they need help.
“They never envisaged they would have to do that.
“A lot of our referrals come from those working in the NHS and it is depressing, how is that possible? It defies belief and we as a society are truly at a crisis point.”
The Uniform Bank service works in a way that families are identified by referrers which can include: teachers, social workers, debt advisors or anyone in contact with families that they see are struggling.
A lot of the parents that are dealing with mental health are also referred by healthcare workers as the practical support is something that can help alleviate their anxiety.
But the reality is that the Bank is reliant on new uniforms coming in as the demand at the moment is “eye watering.”
Margaret says that the average cost of clothing a child for the full school year is around £300 and that the only support that exists through authorities is a means tested grant of £150 - something that barely scrapes the surface of what is required.
She adds that uniform sweaters and blazers that come with a logo are often double the price of plain jumpers of the same colour out of places like Marks and Spencers and even more than places such as Asda.
She says the need to purchase these items is having a massive strain on household budgets and that educational settings need to revisit the way uniforms are organised.
Not only this, but schools changing the colour of the uniform or the design midway through a child's journey through school is also problematic.
Although Margaret does say that schools often have ‘nearly new’ uniform provision for those struggling to meet costs and that they do a lot to support vulnerable families.
On the items they provide and what they need from the public during the current drive, Margaret continued: “We help to improve attainment by giving children their dignity with uniforms.
“We can provide an essential pack that covers everything including: pants, socks, trousers/skirts, a polo shirt, shirt/blouses and jumper - so that no kid is left without.
“Sometimes young girls will say that going to school is like walking on the catwalk and it can be intimidating if they do not have the correct clothing.
“Often we see boys who are growing extremely quickly or are known for wear and tear with their clothing having to go with clothes that are too small or have holes in them - we try to ensure that they have the clothes they need to attend school.
“If kids do not have what they need, then simply do not turn up.
“2020/21 was our biggest year since we launched, we gave out 1,278 uniform packs that include the aforementioned essentials as well as PE kits where required.
“However we worry things will get worse now that the £20 top up has ended and the cost of living crisis worsens, no one knows what to expect come October when energy prices are set to jump again.
“We used to say that Summer was our busy period but now it is busy all year round. Last winter we saw an increase of 25% for our services with parents not able to afford jackets and wellies for their children, so they were showing up to school soaked to the bone.
“With the cost of living crisis hitting our families harder we expect a 60% increase on last year's numbers. We predict that we will give out in excess of 2000 packs by Christmas.
“Demand is also high this summer so we are worried about whether we will have enough stock and money to get through another high demand winter when it comes.
“Today we are seeing a 700% increase in parents of disabled children being referred to us as well.
“So in order to support our services and conserve our stock we are asking Edinburgh Live readers to help if they can.
“We have 100 of the most vulnerable kids in Edinburgh waiting for uniform sponsorship.
“They have put in a wishlist of items. Readers can be matched (anonymously) with an Edinburgh child and they can either donate money for their pack or purchase it themselves.
“If they donate money, our volunteers will shop for the items and send a picture of the pack as it arrives at our hub, with each pack costing around £40.
“We understand that is a lot of money to find, so a more affordable option may be to buy individual items.
“We also need about 3,000 white polos this year. Every two pack of white polos in ages 6-14 would really help. A two pack of white shirts and blouses in ages 13-16 will get our female children into high school.
“Families can choose any item of schoolwear but time and again we find we are being asked for underwear: socks, pants and tights in all sizes and colours.”
To find out how to sponsor or donate visit their website here.
There are also drop off points listed on the website that can generally be found in Morrisons, Tesco’s and Sainsbury’s across the city.
Those wishing to support the drive that live in the North of the city can drop off at Waitrose Comely Bank or at the Uniform Bank hub at 525 Ferry Road.
Margaret finished by saying: “Giving new uniforms changes how children and young people feel about themselves.
“They are more likely to turn up at school and teachers tell us they relax and fit in better after our packs arrive.
“The situation today is diabolical and any help would be greatly appreciated. We are already at a crisis point in the capital.
“Education may be free in Scotland but going to school certainly is not.”
Cllr Mandy Watt, Finance and Resources Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “We know how important the school clothing grant is in supporting low income families in Edinburgh as they provide a real financial boost for those in and at most risk of poverty. Having their school uniform paid for helps ease some of the financial burden families experience especially when it comes to rising food and energy costs.
“We’ve been providing these grants for many years and in the 2021/22 school year we increased the clothing grant to £120 for primary pupils and £150 for secondary pupils. In this current school year we have provided school clothing grants to 8,955 children meaning £1,180,170 of funding has gone directly to those most in need.
“There’s a lot of great work happening in our schools to tackle child poverty and the costs of school uniforms. Dozens of our schools provide a range of supports including using Pupil Equity Funding, uniform ‘swap shops’, ‘reuse and recycle’ stalls and have strong links with services that help families access grants.”
During the summer of 2021 the council's Discover holiday activity programme also worked in partnership with the Edinburgh School Uniform Bank to directly refer families for support - in total 219 school uniforms were distributed as a result.
Any families needing more information about financial support available can find out more here.
