Supporting Families with School Uniforms This Summer
The summer months are always a busy time for Little Stars, as alongside our baby bank and tots to teens support we also see a rise in requests for school uniforms.
This year, we took our support back out into the community to make it easier for families to access what they need. We held school uniform pop-up events at Eastern Oswestry Community Centre, Ditherington Community Centre in Shrewsbury, and The Zone in Market Drayton in association with The 4All Foundation. We also partnered with SYA to host an event at their centre, The Lodge in Shrewsbury.
In July, we supported 62 children, providing them with essential items such as non-branded jumpers, cardigans, trousers, shirts, dresses, skirts, and shoes for both primary and secondary school pupils. In August, we reached a further 71 children through our SYA pop-up and our ongoing referral service.
Our stocks were made possible thanks to the generosity of:
- Families and community members donating gently worn uniforms
- Tesco, who kindly provided end-of-line shirts and dresses
- Sal’s Shoes, Kickers, and It’s Feet First Shrewsbury, who all donated brand new school shoes.
With the average cost of a full school uniform (including PE kit) reaching £442 for secondary and £343 for primary school children, the items we can provide free of charge make a huge difference in easing the financial pressure on families.
This year, we were also fortunate to receive a £1,000 grant from The High Sheriff’s Fund 2025, administered by Shropshire Community Foundation. This extra funding has allowed us to provide additional supplies for secondary school children, including toiletries, school bags, and shirts.
We are also seeing a growing need among teenagers, particularly girls requiring period products. To help address period poverty, we are now providing period packs for girls and toiletries for boys, as hygiene needs increase during adolescence. Without access to these essentials, young people can face challenges that affect their health, wellbeing, and even their school attendance. Thanks to this funding, we can help more vulnerable young people with the basic items they need and deserve at such an important stage in their lives.
A huge thank you goes to everyone who made this possible: from families donating pre-loved uniforms, to our retail and charity partners, and the grant funding from The High Sheriff’s Fund. Together, you’ve helped ease the pressure on parents and ensured more children across Shropshire could start the school year with confidence and dignity.
