The chair of Edinburgh’s School Uniform Bank (ESUB) has shared the harrowing details of what they are seeing as referrals have shot up in the past school year.
Julia Grindley has said that those relying on their services have increased year on year since the charity began collecting statistics in the summer of 2018. This past school year has seen them hand out 1,100 packs of new uniforms - a massive jump from the 359 they received in 2018.
Julia says that there has been a worrying increase in families who are in work poverty using their service, she says that this shows that families who traditionally would not have required ESUB in the past are now having to call on the organisation for help.
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The professional referrers which guide families to ESUB’s services say that there are concerning cases of children having to go to school in mouldy uniforms due to problems with their social housing. They add that a number of families do not have access to washing facilities to clean uniforms.
A rising issue for the ESUB has been a need for school trainers for children. One young girl was reported to have gone to her PE class wearing wellies whilst other children are avoiding attending class altogether due to the state of their footwear.
“For us it is all about giving people dignity by allowing them to choose which items they need for their families. We cover absolutely everything including jumpers, joggers, polo tops, backpacks, swimming trunks, PE kits, trainers, coats and everything in between,” Julia said.
“We are increasingly seeing that families who come to us for help are facing much more than financial difficulties; many are struggling with poor mental health, living in temporary accommodation or enduring domestic abuse. By providing school clothing and other essentials in a pragmatic and dignified way, we are not only easing family budgets but also supporting parents and carers in a wider sense.
“I hope that local families know that we have got their backs, whatever life throws at them. One heartbreaking increase we have seen is families who are in work poverty and simply cannot afford to make ends meet.
“We found that accommodation was also a massive problem as some of our families are escaping domestic abuse and are placed in temporary accommodation with no washing facilities or clothes. Our referring professionals have also told us that they have found children's clothes going mouldy in council and temporary accommodation.
“Footwear has also become more of an issue recently. Gone are the days of traditional school boots as kids prefer to wear trainers to class nowadays.
“But the problem with that is that they fall apart easily. We hear a lot of instances of children pulling on their laces and the shoes fall to bits and as a result of this they don't go to school.
“A lack of footwear is a massive deal for attendance and kids are not going because they don't have suitable shoes on their feet. We’ve heard of one girl wearing wellies to PE because that is all she had.
“We hear destitution mentioned all the time now which we never heard before. People are struggling so much financially and unless someone steps in to provide these clothing items then so many children will be let down. It is heartbreaking.”
ESUB, which was set up in 2015 to respond to the growing uniform emergency impacting capital families, collect donations of uniforms and distribute them in response to referrals from professionals who work directly with parents, carers and children. They cater for all ages ranging from four to 18 across all state schools in Edinburgh.
In 2021/22, they received 2,055 requests for individual packs of new school uniforms. This is a 30 per cent increase on the previous school year which the charity says was in itself an exceptional year for demand.
Historically, they say that the demand for support has been heaviest in the summer months. Packs of uniform went to children and young people in 115 of the 122 schools across the city that have a uniform policy.
A typical pack of uniform includes six core items like skirts, jumpers and shirts as well as “extras” which vary according to the season such as warm hats in winter. The number of items of new clothing that they gave out this year was in excess of 13,000.
They estimate that the value of the new items of clothing, stationery and accessories that they gave to families in 2021/22 was around £75,000. However their operation was put in jeopardy when their base was flooded.
“We had to close for a few months in the winter as our premises were flooded and now it looks as though the building will have to be demolished. Since we reopened in our temporary premises, we noticed that from January-April our referrals had jumped by 75 per cent compared to the same period from the time before.
“There will sadly always be kids going without but we must do all that we can to rally around and get decent uniforms for children. One way we have helped to reach as many children as possible has been to introduce our outreach referral hubs in community centres and schools.
“We see it as a form of devolution that allows staff and volunteers to hand out clothing where and when it is needed. If a child does not have a coat then a school or centre can put one on their back that same day for them to take home and keep.
“We are always grateful for donations of clothes, whether that is socks or pants or a uniform pack that can make a huge difference to a lot of kids. A lot of our supporters love going out and putting together a pack themselves through our “Sponsor A Child” campaign as it is a way to really feel involved.”
Edinburgh Council has handed out more than £1.2m of uniform grants to struggling parents already this year. Cllr Joan Griffiths, Education, Children and Families Convener, said: “There’s a lot of positive work taking place in our schools to help families on low incomes when it comes to poverty proofing the school day. These include help with the cost of school uniforms, the Maximise Project for unclaimed benefits, free period products and our Discover holiday activity programme.
“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 this current school year we have provided school clothing grants to over 9,000 children meaning £1,233,930 of funding has gone directly to those in need.”
ESUB have been shortlisted for the UK-wide Charity Governance Awards 2023. In addition to this their volunteer team will be presented with an award by the Lord Provost at the Inspiring Volunteer Awards Ceremony at the City Chambers on June 7 2023.
To help support the charity and the work they do, please visit their website here.
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